Traffic Cam nets Money, Creates Accidents

[Hamma]

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/05/maryland-countys-red-light-cameras-net-2-85-million-increase/

:lol:

[Ivan]

I'm glad there isn't any around my area.

[OneManArmy]

so now its the cameras fault thats these fuck sticks can't drive? bullshit.

If they wern't getting rear ended they'd be running the god damn light... same difference really.

[Squeeky]

I live in San Diego. We pioneered these retarded red light cameras. I hate them with a passion.

[Baneblade]

I want them here...driving in this town is dangerous. Californians are still goin through the light after its been red 30 seconds. Pay my fines damnit.

[Electrofreak]

One of the techs I regularly dispatch just got in an accident where some dumb lady ran a red light and smashed his brand new Expedition, and his knee got fucked up pretty bad.

TBH, I hate people who run red lights. I'll run the yellow (who doesn't) but if you're not paying attention to the traffic lights you shouldn't be driving, and if you just don't care, you shouldn't be driving.

[Hamma]

Almost got sideswiped myself a couple weeks back - we were taking a left and this lady was talking on her fucking cell phone and not watching where she was going. Ran the red light and almost hit us - I didnt even see her coming fortunatly Jen did.

[Ivan]

Ban her license.

[Hamma]

I would if I could. :lol:

[BlackDrop]

They banned driving with cell phones here in New York...but it is not being enforced very heavily in my area.

I am always on the lookout for morons and I constantly second guess everyone that is on the road with me...but unfortunately you have to rely on the other drivers not to be assheads.

[Hamma]

Yea they are working on a similar law here which would make cell phones illegal while driving UNLESS you used a handsfree device like a bluetooth headset.

[Electrofreak]

They banned driving with cell phones here in New York...but it is not being enforced very heavily in my area.

I am always on the lookout for morons and I constantly second guess everyone that is on the road with me...but unfortunately you have to rely on the other drivers not to be assheads.

Over here in Rochester I know a couple people who've been fined. Making people use headsets only solves some of the problem IMO... there are too many idiots out there who simply don't know how to talk and drive at the same time.

[Lartnev]

So.... can someone explain to me what these cameras do? Do they detect your speed and then shine a red light if you're going over the speed limit? Because that to me is just.... well retarded.

[BlackDrop]

So.... can someone explain to me what these cameras do?

Taken from Wikipedia: Road Rule Enforcement Camera (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_camera)
A road rule enforcement camera is a system including a camera and a vehicle-monitoring device used to detect and identify vehicles disobeying a speed limit or other road rule. Common examples include the following:

* Speed cameras (included in the term "safety camera" in the UK) for identifying vehicles travelling over the legal speed limit.
* Red light cameras (included in the term "safety camera" in the UK) for identifying vehicles proceeding through red lights.
* Bus lane cameras for identifying vehicles traveling in lanes reserved for buses and/or vehicles engaged in car pooling.
* Toll-booth cameras for identifying vehicles proceeding through a toll booth without the toll being paid.
* Level crossing cameras for identifying vehicles crossing railways at grade illegally.
* In central London, cameras help to identify drivers who evade paying the congestion charge.

There are systems that are combinations of the above - for example, some systems detect both red-light infringements and speed infringements.

[Hamma]

Yea if the light turns red and you are in the middle of the intersection say cheese.

[Lartnev]

But why the hell would it shine a RED light at you?

Ours just flash and silently point and laugh ;)

[OneManArmy]

you dont drive much do you? you know traffic lights have 3 lights on them and well the red one means stop.

so if you're in the middle of the intersection when its red. well you're breaking the law and you get a ticket.... :doh:

[Lartnev]

If you're in the middle of an intersection when you're not supposed to, the last thing you should be doing is stopping. Surely there's a better way of indicating to people that they've got a ticket.

[Hamma]

:confused:

They should be stopping before it turns red if your there when its red you fail :p They just mail you a ticket in the mail. If you stop in the middle of the intersection it doesent matter anyway still get a ticket :lol:

I'm sure it uses a pretty elaborate set of sensors.

[Ivan]

The problem I have is what if you're not driving your car. You let someone else drive. How do you prove it wasn't you that ran the red light? Or how do they prove that it was you?

[OneManArmy]

dont let idiots drive your car. I don't.

[Baneblade]

If you're in the middle of an intersection when you're not supposed to, the last thing you should be doing is stopping. Surely there's a better way of indicating to people that they've got a ticket.

Stop defending the idiots, damn. Common Sense goes a long way. Don't put yourself in the situation and it shouldn't be a problem.

[Lartnev]

I'm not defending them, I'm just saying that if there's a better way of indicating you've got a ticket (if it needs to be indicated at all because I'm assuming thats why the accidents are occuring) which would reduce the number of accidents then it's surely a good thing?

Ivan, in the UK photographs from speed cameras have to prove YOU were driving at the time, rather than you proving you weren't driving at the time (although you might still have to take that up with the council). Perhaps its the same in the States?

[OneManArmy]

you're still missing it. the light is not red because they got a ticket. they got a ticket because the light was red. you know the traffic light. as in they ran the red light.

[Setari]

What I understand is this: People are driving bad, these bad drivers remember "Oh shit, there's a camera at this intersection", therefore they brake hard or something because they WERE going to run the light, and then they basically blame the camera for it?

[Hamma]

:lol: Probably just a coincidence

[Lartnev]

you're still missing it. the light is not red because they got a ticket. they got a ticket because the light was red. you know the traffic light. as in they ran the red light.

Oh.... right.... why didn't you just say so? :P~

It was the picture that threw me off, honest :(

[Giovanni]

If they send me a picture of me running a light, I'll send them a picture of me sending the money... then again they might just send me pictures of a prison cell...

[Lartnev]

It's been known to happen ;)