cameras at stop lights...is Big Brother watching you
05-21-2011, 05:00 PM
#83
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Once an Iowan, always an Iowan, but now suburban Chicagoland
Posts: 508
Originally Posted by Maralyn
If you can't afford the fine...don't commit the crime. I have been for the red lights in our city in Iowa since they were put in. I am sick and tired of people running red lights and endangering my life. When my traffic light is green, why do I have to wait while three or four cars run a red light? Is their time more important than mine? When I'm making a legal left turn on a green light and want to move over a lane, why do I have to watch out for the person who is running a red light to make a right turn into my lane?
The mini-editorial (on the front page of our local newspaper) and the editorial page have been full of comments beating this issue to death.
Now the cameras have moved from the intersections to the interstate that runs through the town, a road that is currently under a five-year construction plan. What gives anyone the right, when the speed limit is 55 in a construction zone, to go 70-75 and endangering the lives of construction workers and other motorists? The first day the cameras were in place,(enforcement signs posted on all speed limit signs) there were no tickets given. Hooray!! It works exactly as it should.
Regarding the issue of the ticket going to the owner of the car, rather than the driver...you're never going to borrow my car again if you can't obey the law.
The mini-editorial (on the front page of our local newspaper) and the editorial page have been full of comments beating this issue to death.
Now the cameras have moved from the intersections to the interstate that runs through the town, a road that is currently under a five-year construction plan. What gives anyone the right, when the speed limit is 55 in a construction zone, to go 70-75 and endangering the lives of construction workers and other motorists? The first day the cameras were in place,(enforcement signs posted on all speed limit signs) there were no tickets given. Hooray!! It works exactly as it should.
Regarding the issue of the ticket going to the owner of the car, rather than the driver...you're never going to borrow my car again if you can't obey the law.
05-21-2011, 06:16 PM
#84
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: California
Posts: 401
It's dangerous to cross that line - (that's why it's painted there) - there could be a child on a bike for instance) that takes off when the light first turns green. Many intersections here in So Cal have them. If they make one person slow down and stop on time then I think they are great. We have yellow lights that mean slow down and get ready to stop NOT hurry up before it turns red.
05-21-2011, 06:19 PM
#85
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: California
Posts: 401
Originally Posted by greenini
DH d/l'ed an app for our GPS that bongs when there is a red lite camera at the intersection. Having learned to drive in Mass and being stubborn, he thinks stop signs and red lights shouldn't be stopped for unless someone is there. He's also fond of going thru intersections where stop thing didn't used to be but are now...doesn't make me happy, but I can't convince him he should stop every 15 ft for a stop sign just because it's there and in all honesty, about 50 % of them are not necessary. And before you get all hairy, he does look (and believe me so do I) and hasn't had an accident in years and only a couple over his whole life...go figure.
05-14-2016, 03:00 PM
#87
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: massachusetts
Posts: 812
how do i say this nicely. my job is to monitor traffic cameras for red light and speed violations. i do this from the state of massachusetts, but i work on accounts in iowa, illinois, florida, ny. there may be traffic cameras in other states but our company doesn't monitor them but i am sure they work the same way. on the red light violations, the camera takes a 6 sec video. i watch that video to see if indeed the vehicle was in violation. every state is different. the camera only captures those that run the light or exceed the speed. it captures your plate and two images of your car. i run the plate through the DMV and make sure i am looking at the right make/model. it is then sent to the police in the state and they give the final ok. i know people don't like it, but it saves lives. i see so many near misses and accidents at red lights. everyone is in such a rush. a lot of people call and say "but that wasn't me driving the car" to which we say, "but the car is registered to you". people do fight the tickets. i never know the outcome. in my four hour shift, i am processing 375 tickets and there are 10 of us on that shift. there is no shortage of work.
Last edited by CookieZenmilk; 05-14-2016 at 03:03 PM.
05-14-2016, 03:16 PM
#89
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: massachusetts
Posts: 812
Jane Quilter, i think it is just a matter of time before it comes to your state. these tickets generate a lot of money for the state and what state can't use the money. it makes people better drivers. i see people screech to a stop and i know this person most likely got a ticket for that same violation, but i see others with numerous tickets. i did one today that had 47 violations against the driver. in massachusetts if u get a ticket it goes on your auto insurance. apparently iowa doesn't have that requirement.
05-15-2016, 04:50 AM
#90
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 5,571
I'm a bit late to this particular party - sorry. Here in central NJ they are - or should I say were - all over the place. Here is the history as I know it in NJ of red light cameras. In many cases, yes, the duration of the yellow light was reduced from standard so that more folks actually ran red lights than had previously been the case. You can't necessarily stop safely if you are in a line of traffic and the light changes quicker than it should - i.e., you'll still have or actually have more rear-end collisions.
And, yes again, they were big revenue generators - but more so for the companies operating the cameras than the municipalities in which they were installed. Don't get me wrong - the municipalities DID get revenue but not so much as one would think due to the operating company getting their commission.
After numerous studies, it was determined that the cameras were not particularly reducing the number of accidents and in some cases (because of the shortened yellow light duration) were actually causing more accidents.
As contracts are coming up for renewal here, many of the cameras are being discontinued.
And, yes again, they were big revenue generators - but more so for the companies operating the cameras than the municipalities in which they were installed. Don't get me wrong - the municipalities DID get revenue but not so much as one would think due to the operating company getting their commission.
After numerous studies, it was determined that the cameras were not particularly reducing the number of accidents and in some cases (because of the shortened yellow light duration) were actually causing more accidents.
As contracts are coming up for renewal here, many of the cameras are being discontinued.
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