Read this morning's article on http://villageofislandlake.blogspot.com/2010/01/red-light-cameras-under-scrutiny-in.html about Illinois Sen. Dan Duffy's effort to repeal red-light camera enforcement laws. Sen. Duffy wants drivers to contact their legislators and stir up support for his bill.
He stirred me up, all right. And I’ve already emailed Sen. Althoff to ask her to oppose his proposed legislation.
Sen. Duffy is pushing SB 2466, which would do away with red-light cameras at intersections. He thinks they have caused an increase in intersection accidents. He’s missing the point. There are fewer accidents, because drivers have increased their awareness that the yellow light means slow and stop, not stomp on the accelerator.
Of course, there are still a few reckless drivers who do step on the gas, even when they aren’t the first car in line to go on through the light. Some of them even swerve around the law-abiding driver who approaches a “stale” green cautiously, in anticipation of its changing to yellow and then to red.
Red-light cameras catch violators, plain and simple. A driver at the speed limit, who is alert as he approaches an intersection, has plenty of time to slow and stop, if the light changes to yellow as he approaches. Yes, they scream bloody murder, if they get caught running a red. Maybe, if they’d put down the coffee, McBreakfast, cell phone, map, iPod, BlackBerry, etc. and pay 100% attention to the driving, they wouldn’t find themselves on top of a red light and get caught running it.
Red-light cameras are safer than a cop sitting there. First, the cop has to make a decision about whether the driver violated the red light. Then he has to decide if it is safe to run him down. The cop will be on the wrong side of the intersection to pursue; he’ll be where he could see the light change to red and the driver proceed through it. Then he’ll have to pull out, cross the intersection with emergency lights and possibly siren (risking an intersection accident with unsuspecting cross-traffic), and chase down the violator and find a safe place to pull him over.
Drivers are provided a video as proof of the violation. It’s right there, clear as day. With most of the red-light tickets, I’ll bet that there is little defense.
So, where’s the beef?
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7 comments:
The beef is that they are being used for the generation of revenue rather than traffic safety. There have been enough reports in the mainstream media revealing survey results showing that in many (not all) instances the cameras are being set in intersections with high traffic volume and low accident rates. Then, too, we've seen that the studies and even the US DOT recommend placing the signs warning of the stop light cams not at the intersection but at the entrance to the city or village using them. IOW, let the motorist beware! They don't have any real warning and have to treat EVERY stop light intersection as a potential "Gotcha!" Seems to me that WOULD be more effective than labeling a specific intersection like Randall & Acorn.
There have also been reports, which seem to corroborate the revenue angle, that red light timing has been fiddled with, decreasing the yellow light time. That is what's wrong.
Now you can one more thing for us in the snow belt. A right turn on red is perfectly legal so long as you stop FIRST. We were taught in driver's ed to stop EVEN with the stop sign/light and then proceed with caution. Take a look at many intersections and see where the painted line is drawn. Often not even with the light. Well, that's where the sensors are placed or aimed to determine whether or not your stop was proper and whether or not you get a ticket. Enter Mother Nature with a dose of snow and... you get the picture. Where the heck do you stop? Miss the line because it's invisible and you get a ticket. Doesn't matter if you stopped even with the light and then pulled forward to check for traffic. You ran over that line "at speed" so you are cooked.
Other than that, the red light cameras are just great!
You’re totally wrong on this. Statistic have shown that nearly 75% of red light tickets are dismissed as being erroneously issued. When a person is stopped ready to turn right on red, the camera doses not distinguish the stop and legal turn. Also if you are stoppped in the intersection waiting for oncomming traffic to clear and the light turns red, LEGALLY you are allowed to complete you turn. The camera only sees a car turning on red. It is arbitrary. These cameras cause a loss of a person’s time and probably pay to defend an improperly issued ticket.
One of the tenets of our Bill of Rights under the Sixth amendment of the US Constitution is the right to face our accusers. This is a mechanical device and is a method to increase revenue, not safety. If an officer sees the violation you can argue the facts, but a camera only sees a glipse of time.
OnceACop, do you have a reference for the 75% dismissal number? Seems too high.
The video of a vehicle coasting through a red light is persuasive.
Contact FRG. Rte 22 and 14 finds the majority of violation being cars that were turning right onto Rte 14 after a legal stop. They have had such a high degree of erroneous tickets that they are reconsidering the camera contract.
Remember these cameras are maintained and operated by a FOR PROFIT corporation that gains revenue based up the number of tickets, not the QUALITY of tickets.
Hmmm, where is my FOIA Request form??? Maybe I'll some time at the end of the week to begin gathering information from FRG PD. Thanks.
Gus if you're going to FOIA this, make sure you get the information on how the system is "tripped", whether it is loops in the pavement or laser, and if there is a speed threshhold, what is it, how the vendor is paid (it's probably by each paid citation, not by the number of citations issued), who is financially responsible for camera/equipment maintenance (it's probably the vendor), who pays for things like paper, printing, mailing, trp processing of payments and who provides customer service regarding red light citations. And then get a copy of the IL traffic law pertaining to traffic control signals/devices and read up on where vehicles have to stop in the absence of the white stop line. Oh, and also look up right turns on red when there is a traffic control device prohibiting. I believe that's still "running" the red light. Then find out who determines yellow light timing, and you'll find out that it's not the police department and they have no say in it whatsoever. And THEN if you're still bored, go to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website and search for red light cameras for more accurate statistics than provided in the earlier comment.
QWA, thanks for the suggestions, but I think I might just ask enough to learn the percentage of tickets that are dismissed.
I've got to sleep sometime.
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