Traffic cameras

[iamnotincompliance]

In my ongoing effort to start a topic that sticks around for more a day and garners more than one page of replies (it's important to have goals, even when they're absurd and pointless), I bring you... traffic cameras. Since the reputable and eerily similar car magazines that arrive each month suggest this is a hot topic in the U.K, U.S, and Australia, this seemed the perfect place to have intelligent discussion on such an issue. So, are they the boon of safety our leaders would have us believe, or are they an obvious plot to suck dry the wallets of unsuspecting motorists who could be spending that money on more important things, like rent?

I think you can tell which way I lean on this one.

 

[Alex_P]

The use of traffic camera data for imposing fines encourages unscrupulous urban planning. Some cities try to boost their revenue by shortening the duration of the yellow light -- kind of an unsafe thing to do.

Although if you're in a city where everyone already runs yellows, I'm not sure it hurts that much...

-- Alex

 

[Gitsnik]

The use of traffic camera data for imposing fines encourages unscrupulous urban planning. Some cities try to boost their revenue by shortening the duration of the yellow light -- kind of an unsafe thing to do.

Although if you're in a city where everyone already runs yellows, I'm not sure it hurts that much...

-- Alex

I actually got done for this recently. The camera turned yellow for maybe 5 seconds when I was already coming up to the green arrow, so I kept going (naturally) and got pinged for crossing the line just as it went red. Thing is that particular camera keeps changing the timing depending on the day. Personally I don't approve of them, mainly because I don't think I've ever been done in a situation worthy. But I'm too lazy to fight them so I just pay the fines.

Situations I do not consider worthy:

Empty road, middle of the day, zero cloud cover. 105km in a 100km zone.
Down a hill, similarly an empty day, light cloud. 65 in a 60 zone.
Said traffic light earlier.

There's one I'm not too sure on though, I got done for being 15 km's over the limit in a road work zone. Only thing is the road work sign was hidden behind the police car that pinged me so I had no chance to be doing the right speed (apparantly there was one earlier but I was focused on turning the corner, not looking at the other side of the road where it supposedly sat). I would have been done a lot harder for that (was doing 60 in a temp. 40 zone) but I think the cop was happy with my attitude.

Edit: Don't think the three are worthy because they're only slight. Especially that down hill one because the car itself will cruise to that speed even on cruise control. Damned automatics.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Gotta love the automatic revenue cameras. They hurt more than they help if the number of rear end collisions is any indication as people now slam on the brakes or gas it whenever it turns yellow. Around here we also have a state trooper car that has cameras on top that scan your license or sheriff cars that can clock you even if driving the other way. Got a 90 in a 55 cost me 492 dollars last month and a 72 in a 55 netted my lovely county another 167 for their coffers. never got busted by a traffic light though.

 

[Xhumed]

I seem to remember a counter to the arguement that every speed camera saves lives that ran thus: there are more speed cameras in the UK than there are traffic accidents per year. QED. Its one big government run con-job most of the time, a way of raising revenue.