Cameras Snap Speeders, Spark Controversy

[Cryozombie]

After you get covered in someones blood while you hold their head up to keep their airway open while the seconds seem like hours as EMS is responding you laugh a lot less about people arguing their right to do 80 MPH and blow through red lights unless a live cop can catch them.

Hold on there Partner... FWIW, I am not advocating that one can blow thru red lights as long as a cop didn't see it. HOWEVER, I have seen the studies that indicate

A) that MOST of the revenue generated (again, here in Illinois... I won't speak for elsewhere) is from Right Turn Lane facing cameras, and most of the Incidents are triggerd by LEGAL right turn on reds. It has gotten so bad that many towns now mandate that an officer reveiw all film to determine if a violation actually occurred, however places like Chicago still do not do so, and it has become such a problem we have several lawmakers working to make it illegal to use them in Right Turn lanes at all,

and

B) DOT studies that have indicated that accidents at intersections with the cameras actually INCREASE at those intersections after the cameras are installed, particularly in areas (again, like Chicago) where they "short time" the Yellow light to increase violations. Conversely, the same studies indicate that the saftey at intersections in general can be increased by lengthening the timing of the yellow light by as little as 2 seconds. However, instead of doing this they continue to install cameras, proving (to me at least) it is about Revenue and not safety.

 

[MJS]

Hold on there Partner... FWIW, I am not advocating that one can blow thru red lights as long as a cop didn't see it. HOWEVER, I have seen the studies that indicate

A) that MOST of the revenue generated (again, here in Illinois... I won't speak for elsewhere) is from Right Turn Lane facing cameras, and most of the Incidents are triggerd by LEGAL right turn on reds. It has gotten so bad that many towns now mandate that an officer reveiw all film to determine if a violation actually occurred, however places like Chicago still do not do so, and it has become such a problem we have several lawmakers working to make it illegal to use them in Right Turn lanes at all,

Yeah, I can see how this can be an issue. Camera thinks that you're making an illegal turn ie: running the light, when in reality, its a perfectly legal turn to begin with...providing its not specified that theres no turn on red.

and

B) DOT studies that have indicated that accidents at intersections with the cameras actually INCREASE at those intersections after the cameras are installed, particularly in areas (again, like Chicago) where they "short time" the Yellow light to increase violations. Conversely, the same studies indicate that the saftey at intersections in general can be increased by lengthening the timing of the yellow light by as little as 2 seconds. However, instead of doing this they continue to install cameras, proving (to me at least) it is about Revenue and not safety.

And thats wrong IMO. I can predict more accidents happening if thats the case.