Red Light Cameras coming to an Intersection Near You

[ChriswUfGator]

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-04-11/story/red-light-camera-firm-jacksonville-talks-has-been-kicked-out-other

Well, the TU has picked up on this, and surprisingly, didn't jump all over it as the best thing since sliced bread.

[fsujax]

City of Roswell, Georgia (Atlanta metro) considers doing away with red light cameras. From the TU today.

http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2012-11-12/story/roswell-may-scrap-money-losing-redlight-cameras

[If_I_Loved_you]

What's the old saying a fool and his money are soon parted? "Authorities say that after generating close to $1.6 million in profits the first three years, the city’s traffic camera program has lost about $26,000 over the past two years."

[chipwich]

I am assuming there will be a ballot measure within a year or two of these things going up to remove them. 

At that point, every council person and elected official who voted for them should be voted out for defrauding the citizens.  The idea of redlight cameras makes my skin crawl.  They have almost nothing to do with safety and almost evrything to do with unnecessary fines to drivers.

[tufsu1]

I recetly got a friendly ticket from the red light camera folks in Green Cove Springs....with several pictures of my car going through the intersection....ugh!

[ChriswUfGator]

http://loover.com/looverdetails.htm

You won't have to worry about it anymore...

[Ocklawaha]

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-04-11/story/red-light-camera-firm-jacksonville-talks-has-been-kicked-out-other

Well, the TU has picked up on this, and surprisingly, didn't jump all over it as the best thing since sliced bread.

You mean it's not? 

[chipwich]

http://loover.com/looverdetails.htm

You won't have to worry about it anymore...

Now that looks like a great idea that may soon enough become illegal in the great State of FL once the lawmakers see enough of them around.

[Dog Walker]

If the revenue falls like that it means that the cameras are working to reduce the number of red-light runners, doesn't it?

So they are failing as a revenue device, but working as a safety device.  Problem is the business model, not their effectiveness. 

[KenFSU]

So they are failing as a revenue device, but working as a safety device.

Depends greatly on your definition of "safety."

I haven't seen any studies for this immediate area, but below are the findings from Hallandale Beach last month, which is in line with what many other red light camera cities report.

Florida city finds red light cameras less safe, increase accidents

Hallandale Beach, Florida is a quiet beachside town which decided to install red light cameras at two of its intersections after being lobbied by American Traffic Solutions. The hope was to raise revenue Hallandale and make those two intersections safer from motorists running red lights. According to a study released by Paul Henry, he found an increase of accidents at the intersections after the cameras were installed while accidents decreased at non-camera intersections. Additionally, Henry found Hallandale is running a net loss on the red light cameras.

At one intersection, Federal Highway & Hallandale Beach Blvd, found that after the red light cameras were installed rear-end crashes increased 50%, other crashes at the intersection increased by 41% with overall crashes increasing 46%. At the other intersection with the installed cameras, SW 10th Terrace and Hallandale Beach Blvd, accidents increased 11% and saw no difference in red light running violations from before or after the installation.

[blfair]

http://www.motorists.org/red-light-cameras/fairfax

The Virginia Department of Transportation increased the yellow time on the traffic lights at US50 and Fair Ridge Drive by 1.50 seconds on March 26, 2001. This increase in yellow time from 4.00 seconds to 5.50 seconds resulted in a 94 percent drop in citations, less than one per day, at this red light camera enforced location.

...


"This experience should prove to any skeptic that sound engineering practices, not only work, but are preferable to exploiting motorists through the use of ticket cameras and related automated enforcement devices," Skrum concluded.

[urbanlibertarian]

If red light cameras are installed at intersections in this city then you have to change your driving behavior related to yellow lights at all intersections because you don't have time to think about whether or not the intersection you're approaching has a camera.  Yellow means STOP even if you're being tailgated.

[ChriswUfGator]

Just buy a loover, problem solved. Lol

[TheCat]

red light cameras cause more accidents:

New Mexico: Photo Enforcement Locations See More Accidents, Injuries

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/33/3332.asp[/quote]

Even more "genius" is how the camera operators and cities increase fines by shortening the yellow light time:

http://blog.motorists.org/6-cities-that-were-caught-shortening-yellow-light-times-for-profit/

[Adam W]

If red light cameras are installed at intersections in this city then you have to change your driving behavior related to yellow lights at all intersections because you don't have time to think about whether or not the intersection you're approaching has a camera.  Yellow means STOP even if you're being tailgated.

Does yellow mean stop anyway? I'm not sure I follow. One would expect a driver to follow the rules of the road, regardless of whether or not there are cameras at intersections. The rules don't change if there are cameras at intersections - and just as a driver may not know if there is a camera at a particular intersection, he/she also wouldn't necessarily know if there is a police officer around to see if he/she is running a red light, either.

Of course, this whole argument is moot if the length of yellow lights are being shortened at intersections with red light cameras - which has apparently happened in at least some instances in the past.

Edit: when I say "One would expect a driver to follow the rules of the road" I should've probably said, "One wouldn't expect any driver to ever follow the rules of the road!" I was probably being a bit idealistic, I admit