Red Light Cameras

[pj8708]

City revenue or safety. I bet this will get some strong responses. If you don't have an opinion you don't have a pulse.

http://autos.aol.com/article/red-light-camera-backlash/

[LEXIRX330]

I don't mind the red light cameras but the speed cameras drive me nuts!

[SW03ES]

yeah, red light cameras are for safety, SPEED cameras on the other hand are for revenue.

I actually went to a town hall forum once for a local representative election, a question asked of the candidates was if they supported more speed cameras. The consensus was no, since people learn where they are and slow down they don't make enough revenue off of them to make it worthwhile...

[nc211]

I've been zapped twice from the same red light camera, both bogus reasons. It wasn't that I was running the light, it's that I was in the right turn lane. I stopped just fine, sat there for a few seconds for the cars to clear, when both times the car sitting next to me made it impossible for me to see around them. I inched forward to see, while still inching forward saw I was clear and went, and FLASH in my mirror...$250 bucks later, I found a different route to take...aka...the CVS parking lot ;-) I think the red ligh cameras are fine, but my problem is you can't fight them for legit reasons. They're "still" photos. If they had a video component, then I could've said "check the video. I stopped as legally instructed." it wasn't illegal to turn right on red at that light either.

[LEXIRX330]

I would find a different route too!

[SW03ES]

Thats terrible, did you take it to court? I would...

[pj8708]

Had an interesting conversation today with my son-in-law who is a deputy sheriff in Melbourne, Florida. I asked him how he felt about the use of red light cameras and speeding cameras. His answer was surprising.

In his opinion they are a bad idea. The red light cameras can help prevent some accidents, but causes far to many rear end collisions from people trying to stop short in fear of entering the intersection before the light turns red. Also anyone driving your car can trigger a ticket and you have to pay it. He feels it's a revenue maker for cities and some private company who gets a larger percentage of the fine than does the municipality.

As far as speeding cameras go, his opinion is that they are truly strictly money makers and serve no valid purpose in deterring speeding.

real deterrence comes from an actual patrol stop even if it is only a warning. He also complained about the extraordinary expense in speeding fines. In his county they begin at $200 and go up to as much as $400-$500. How many people can afford to pay that type of fine he said.

Paul