Speed cameras=revenue raisers?

[Fashion Lad!]

Red light cameras have shown to increase accidents at those intersections. That's been shown with tons, upon tons of surveys and what not.

So, what are red light cameras real purpose if we can pretty obviously rule out safety? I think it's revenue. Plain and simple. The government nickles and dimes enough as it is. I don't need red light cameras causing accidents, causing insurance rates to go up for revenue. Stop spending money. Sure there are a few studies here and there that suggest that they do decrease accidents, but an overwhelming majority say otherwise. So, the government needs to just make due with the money they already get from people and stop being wasteful morons.

[Slytovhand]

<Sigh>

No, the camera is not at fault if an accident is caused whilst at a red light/speed setup.

Yes, it is basically 100% of Jimbob's fault!

Yes, they are there to try and increase the safety of the intersection.

No, all the statistics in the world saying that they 'increase accidents' will remove Jimbob's responsibility! Jimbob's and Jane Doe's driving behind Jimbob...

The basic argument attempted to be put forth by the anti- side is that people are irresponsible drivers, and the police and governments shouldn't try to change that....

CRAP!

I do disagree with Crazy in one bit though - there are times when a person 'ought' to be allowed to break the law.. as in any other situation.. it just better be a good enough one to convince a judge/magistrate (or in really bad situations, jury...).

Also, for you anti-people with wonderful excuses, what's your excuse for not avoiding an accident when you do run the red/get caught speeding? If the weather is so sucky that it makes driving so much more dangerous that you can't stop for a light that you should have seen way ahead, and thus anticipated, they why don't you take that into consideration?? IF there's an arsehole up yours, tough bikkies to the arsehole! If they choose to break the law, that's on their head!

As for the 15% responsibility for getting rear-ended.. that's only 5% more than what you're responsible for normally - just because you're on the road in the first place... fair? Maybe not, but let's not try diverting the argument regarding law enforcement to the scum-suckiness of insurance companies... 2 unrelated arguments.

You weren't the driver? Well, either legally nominate who was driving, or next time, don't give them your keys... simple, hey!

No, your desire to break the law because you think you're better than that, and they shouldn't apply to you (or to face any consequences for it) does NOT override my basic right to make it home tonight!

(FTR, yes, I speed... a little over the limits on occasion, and sometimes relatively a lot... I also do it when the conditions are good, I've got great visibility, and the car is capable of it... also FTR, I've never been in a serious *accident, and have never caused one!)


* Ok, sure, I've scraped three times in my life, and they were parked cars and I mis-judged while driving slowly... and the 1 accident I did have, they guy admitted he didn't check his shoulder before turning into me... Oh, and one where 2 lanes became one with no notice, there was traffic, and the guy behind rear-ended... guess what... anticipation reduced the damage to nothing!

you'll sit there literally forever waiting for it to change.

No, no you don't..... (sorry, pet hate!)

[Dreamstalker]

I'm a fan of speed cameras.

They enforce the law, they allow the law to be enforced.

Why should the law not be enforced, and why should be people be outraged that it is?

I don't mind speed cameras.

A minor threadjack: A few months ago, there was an abduction/rape at the main intersection at 2 AM. There is a camera there (I don't think it's a speed camera per se, more to monitor traffic patterns). That footage let another local jurisdiction identify the vehicle from a previous traffic stop. Truck was tracked down, driver and passenger were identified as the attackers and put away.

Had the camera not been in place, the break never would have happened and the guys would not have been caught.

If they were really concerned about safety (and not generating revenue), they'd pay for an actual human being to be stationed there to pull people over.

The main intersection in my town is so bad that nobody in the local PD wants to pull traffic duty there. I've seen people try to hit cops to move up a few feet in the gridlock or beat a light.

[DesignFox]

Well, I'm glad some of you have never had the misfortune to have your car slide on an icy road. I was once driving through my neighborhood, where it hadn't yet been plowed, going 5 mph, turning a corner and my car SLID. Thankfully, I WAS being responsible and only going 5 mph or else the curb would not have stopped my car. There was 0 I could do about it.

Anyway, I'm not one to blow through when it turns red. I can only think of 1 or 2 occassions where I've gone through as it turned because the jackass behind me wouldn't get off my tail. I don't give a shit if it would be JimBob's fault, I wasn't going to be in an accident.

Anyway, I was talking to my SO about this, and according to him, anyway...the cameras that will be going up in our state are not automatic ticket machines. The tapes have to be reviewed by a human. I'm more comfortable with that, because it means someone will see the difference between, "I went through the yellow dragging a trailer" "I slid on ice" or "I'm an impatient asshole."

[Fashion Lad!]

Well, I'm glad some of you have never had the misfortune to have your car slide on an icy road.

If this were reddit, I'd create multiple accounts just to upmod this as much as possible. But alas, it's not.

[crazylegs]

Well, I'm glad some of you have never had the misfortune to have your car slide on an icy road.

Yes, I have.

It happened simply because I was driving too fast for the road conditions (We don't often get them over here you see...).

[protege]

I've slid many times over the past several of years. Most of the time, skids can be easily corrected. Since I usually take the same roads, I know where the trouble spots are, and can adjust my speed accordingly. However, if you're going too fast, or not familiar with the area, they can catch you out!

For example, I was on my way back home from my grandmother's house. I hadn't had my license very long. Yet, my mother let me take the minivan. No real problems, even though it started snowing hard on the way back. At the time, I was hoping to stay on the main road. But, there had been an accident, and traffic was being diverted onto the side roads.

Not really a big deal, since most of them were heavily driven, and usually clear. That is, until I got near Trax Farm. As I'm coming around the last little bend before the Farm...the van's tail suddenly swung out I managed to miss both the wall (on the left) and the drop-off (on the right). I missed the wall, and... Crunch! I'd planted our Dodge Grand Caravan...into the hillside. No damage at all except for a bent-up front license plate. Luckily, the guy coming the other way (oddly enough in *another* Caravan) managed to stop in time.

Second time I slid...was a bit more serious. We'd had an ice storm, and I got out of work early. Getting home was a bit interesting... Most of the city streets were deserted, apart from the odd bus. Once in the 'burbs, the ice was much worse. So bad in fact, I nearly rolled the Tercel on my street

As I was coming down the street, the car's rear end suddenly swung out, and I was facing the stone wall on the left. I managed to steer out of that, hit another patch of ice, spun around, and slid (backwards!) into a pile of snow. Had that pile not been there, the car would have gone off the road, and possibly flipped over in my neighbor's yard As it was, I backed down the street, and somehow got the car into my parents' driveway.

But, getting (somewhat) back on topic, there are always people who drive like idiots when it's bad out. I'm talking about the SUVs that do 80mph on ice...only to end up in a ditch. But, I'm also talking about the idiots who plod along at barely 5mph, and can't understand why people pass them. Sorry, but 5mph is about as slow as I can go--much less than that, and I'm either riding the brakes, or overheating my transmission.

[tabbyblack13]

I will say one thing. I like the speed cameras. I drive in Phoenix a lot and the speed cameras are setup to catch anyone going 10 mph over the speed limit. I usually do 5 over so I don't get caught. I have had people going at least 15 mph over the limit driving very large vehicles try to run me off the road. This does keep them in check and keeps me safer from these people.

There is also the fact that you can turn someone else in for getting a speeding ticket in your vehicle. I had to help a coworker fill out the form to get the speeding ticket off of his record.