Red light cameras going away?

UNT90 · April 23, 2015

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/04/senate-votes-to-ban-use-of-red-light-cameras-by-texas-cities.html/

What orginally started as a very good idea to limit accidents unfortunately morphed into a money making scheme by local governments.

Governments perverting a good idea? Say it ain't so!!

Any of you out there who have received one of these tickets for failure to stop behind the white line while turning right even though there was a truck you couldn't see past if you had stopped at that point, well, you know what I'm talking about here.

It's a shame that a useful tool was misused by greedy municipal governments.

Censored by Laurie · April 23, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjpmT5noto

oldguystudent · April 23, 2015

Never gotten one of those tickets, and I'll gladly take the rear end collision from the impatient asshole behind me, on camera. Nearly happened this morning. Guy nearly crashed into me from behind, swerved into the right turn lane, then went back around me, through the red light.

Cameras or no, your time is not that much more important that my person and property. But I'll take your shitty low speed collision over dealing with the extortionists down at the city courthouse anything.

UNT90 · April 23, 2015

Never gotten one of those tickets, and I'll gladly take the rear end collision from the impatient asshole behind me, on camera. Nearly happened this morning. Guy nearly crashed into me from behind, swerved into the right turn lane, then went back around me, through the red light.

Cameras or no, your time is not that much more important that my person and property. But I'll take your shitty low speed collision over dealing with the extortionists down at the city courthouse anything.

And you can always sue for whiplash...

Army of Dad · April 23, 2015

Never gotten one of those tickets, and I'll gladly take the rear end collision from the impatient asshole behind me, on camera. Nearly happened this morning. Guy nearly crashed into me from behind, swerved into the right turn lane, then went back around me, through the red light.

Cameras or no, your time is not that much more important that my person and property. But I'll take your shitty low speed collision over dealing with the extortionists down at the city courthouse anything.

I won't, almost got killed by a rock hauler on 380 a couple of weeks ago. Not all tear end accidents are love taps. Sure it would have been his fault, but we would have been dead right. There is a valid reason why the traffic code doesn't consider you to be breaking the law if you enter the intersection legally.

UNT90 · April 23, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjpmT5noto

Dead on here.

What the justice department got wrong in the Ferguson report is that this is an attack on the lower middle class and poor, not just on black people.

As a matter of fact, your regular city cops (aside from those assigned to the traffic unit) would rather do anything else besides writing traffic tickets without purpose. Sadly, and even though there is a state law against quotas, pressure is put on these cops to "show activity," meaning write tickets, or else risk a bad performance review. And it most certainly isn't limited to small municipalities.

The raping of the less privileged in this matter is pretty dispicable.

TheTastyGreek · April 23, 2015

The raping of the less privileged in this matter is pretty dispicable.

Whatever, commie. Even your spelling of the word "despicable" has a shockingly liberal philosophy.

Censored by Laurie · April 23, 2015

Dead on here.
What the justice department got wrong in the Ferguson report is that this is an attack on the lower middle class and poor, not just on black people.
As a matter of fact, your regular city cops (aside from those assigned to the traffic unit) would rather do anything else besides writing traffic tickets without purpose. Sadly, and even though there is a state law against quotas, pressure is put on these cops to "show activity," meaning write tickets, or else risk a bad performance review. And it most certainly isn't limited to small municipalities.
The raping of the less privileged in this matter is pretty dispicable.

so...tariffs killed Michael Brown? interesting...

Rudy · April 23, 2015

Never been a fan of them. I understood the purpose of them. Sometimes they way to get people to stop breaking traffic laws is by hitting them in the pocket book. Thankfully they are only civil penalties and don't go against your driving record. As for turning right at a stop sign or light, but having to stop past the line to see. That is a violation. Fix that by stopping before the white line, then proceeding slightly forward until you can see safely enough to determine when it's safe to turn.

ColoradoEagle · April 23, 2015

They have them at Western Center and Beach in Fort Worth, and there's still accidents at that intersection multiple times a week. If anything, I think it makes more people speed up to avoid hitting the light red.

Edited April 23, 2015 by ColoradoEagle

UNT90 · April 23, 2015

Never been a fan of them. I understood the purpose of them. Sometimes they way to get people to stop breaking traffic laws is by hitting them in the pocket book. Thankfully they are only civil penalties and don't go against your driving record. As for turning right at a stop sign or light, but having to stop past the line to see. That is a violation. Fix that by stopping before the white line, then proceeding slightly forward until you can see safely enough to determine when it's safe to turn.

It is a violation, but was not the expressed intent of red light cameras when they were installed, which was to prevent accidents.

How many times have you written this ticket?

Rudy · April 23, 2015

Ticket as far as...? The red light cameras are triggered by going a certain speed over the line. I'm guessing some are set too sensitively. The machine tells no distinction between turning on red or running a red light.

If you're asking how many times I've written a ticket for not stopping when turning right on red or at a stop sign, not many if at all. The decision to cite or warn will be based on how fact they entered the intersection, how far past the line they stopped (or didn't stop), and if they nearly caused a collision. If they nearly caused a collision, they will most likely get a citation. if they never come to a stop, then they ran the light/sign, and will likely be ticketed. As for not stopping at the designated stopping point, it will depend on the factors above.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Rudy

UNT90 · April 23, 2015

Ticket as far as...? The red light cameras are triggered by going a certain speed over the line. I'm guessing some are set too sensitively. The machine tells no distinction between turning on red or running a red light.

not many if at all.

As far as the first paragraph, the film is reviewed by civil "judges" to make sure the camera has not made an error and EVERY violation is issued, no matter how minute (revenue raising here). As far as being set for a certain speed, I can promise you that is not the case unless the speed is about 4 MPH.

As far as the second... Exactly.

Edited April 23, 2015 by UNT90