But I want red light cameras!

If I had tons of money I would run these red light camera companies into the ground. These things are meant to squeeze every last penny from taxpayers all while attempting to operate under the illusion of safety.

Here's the report from Texas on yellow light timing.

http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/04-alternatives.pdf Bottom line : longer yellow = reduced intersection crashes and reduced red light violations

And then here are some FAQs with a slightly different twist, a more official twist to red light cameras. http://www.dot.state.tx.us/safety/camera_faqs.htm

And from L.A. here's the formula for developing yellow light times. See the formula for how the Yellow Phase is determined on page 2: http://saferstreetsla.org/wp-content/uploads/reports/MAXIMIZING%20SAFETY%20AT%20SIGNALIZED%20INTERSECTIONS%20THROUGH%20INCREASED%20YELLOW%20AND%20ALL-RED%20SIGNAL%20PHASES.pdf

I'm traveling through Europe right now (you'd think I'd have something better to do than write on this board... I can stop any time!) and find that Germany has surprisingly intelligent highway system. I know y'all are aware of the autobahn, but I've never driven it before. Topped out the Golf wagon at 190kph and was passed by a number of Audi's, BMW's etc. Crazy. You get places quick though. That 300 mile trip? How about 3 hours instead of 5? Too cool.

Red light cameras suck. People who run red lights suck. Unless it's just an accident... it all happens.

Keith wrote: There's really no good reason for running a red light in a non-emergency situation. It's a very dangerous thing to do for yourself and others, something far more dangerous than simply running faster than an arbitrary speed limit.

I agree, but tell that to the idiots down here who drive trucks loaded with citrus. One of the best bits of advice I ever got when moving to FL was, "When the light turns green, count to five before you start moving."

JoeyM wrote:

Keith wrote: There's really no good reason for running a red light in a non-emergency situation. It's a very dangerous thing to do for yourself and others, something far more dangerous than simply running faster than an arbitrary speed limit.

I agree, but tell that to the idiots down here who drive trucks loaded with citrus. One of the best bits of advice I ever got when moving to FL was, "When the light turns green, count to five before you start moving."

The rock trucks up in North Central FL are just as bad. I don't like the generic count to 5 thing, it is more effective to simply look both ways as you start to move. Heck, the majority of the time, I have been paying attention to cross traffic long enough before I got my green that I know if there is red light runner on his way through.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Keith wrote: There's really no good reason for running a red light in a non-emergency situation.

My motorcycle won't trip the automatic signals so you have to stop, look both ways - then run them if you ever want to get anywhere.

I have the same problem. I can sit at a red light, and it will never turn green if I'm the only one there.

I'm likely to get a ticket in the mail next week, for running one yesterday.

For some reason, a two lane road I take to the highway everyday, they have put in a stoplight. 95% of the traffic goes east/west through the intersection.

So instead of having sensors to trip, they have it timed. It's infuriating to sit at a light at 5:30am, for a long time when there is absolutely no traffic in either direction.

In fact, maybe I should just call the county today.

dculberson wrote: I hate speed cameras because I like to speed, but am ambivalent about red light cameras because red light runners are evil incarnate. I've been nearly broad-sided on my motorcycle a few times, once close enough that it gave me the shakes for a bit. Yikes. (And no, my speed wasn't a factor in that instance. It was a blatant solid red light that was run.)

The Georgia General Assembly mandated that any place in the state running red light cameras add an extra half second of yellow time. This law ended up causing just about every place that had red light cameras to rip them out, as it resulted in people actually stopping on time and not getting hit with tickets.

It appears a number of the lights with red light cameras had, in fact, been set to less yellow light time than the law required. Seems some unscrupulous politicians had been trying to drive up the number of red light runners to get more revenue. Talk about a devil incarnate...

N Sperlo wrote: That was the only time I thought a red light camera would be useful. Were staring to get the speed cameras in St. Louis, too.

???

One thing that infuriated me when I moved to Maine from living in Mass. my whole life is the yellows are a lot shorter. It's not uncommon to hit an intersection, at the speed limit, at just the right time to have to slam on the brakes just to avoid running the red. And that's without cameras in many places. If there's someone right behind you, you have to choose the worse evil - risk being hit from behind, or run the light to avoid being hit. The so-called safety devices do a great job making things less safe.

And I agree about motorcycles and sensors at intersections not picking them up. On a road without much traffic - and therefore little chance of a car stopping behind you to trigger the sensor - you have little choice but to run the light when it's clear. Some sensors do pick up bikes, but not all. I remember reading that at least one state (I don't remember which) has made it LEGAL for a motorcycle to run a red under these conditions, if it has come to a full stop and the intersection is clear and safe to cross.

We don't have them here. Heck, they don't let County Sheriff's have radar at all.

DoctorBlade wrote: We don't have them here. Heck, they don't let County Sheriff's have radar at all.

Wow, you must have died and gone to heaven.