We have them here as well. Never had a ticket from them, but then again I don't try and beat the light either.

 

They used them in my city and they also made a new law thats says you can use those plate covers that distort the picture. I know a guy that made a"special tag" that he would put over his tag and then run lights with a cameras.

 

gee, your friend sounds like a real civic-minded individual (??).

The main issue with these traffic-cams is the length of the yellow light. I used to agree that if you are in the intersection when the light turns red it has to be due to your own negligence, inattentiveness, misjudgement, etc. That was before I read an editorial in Car & Driver magazine. It was about the widely differing yellow light lengths at intersections.

C&D, along with the AAA & other driver advocacy groups, has long been lobbying for a nationally standardized yellow light length calculated to the speed at each intersection. In addition, a visual timer to indicate exactly when the light will turn red would eliminate the guessing game we now play.

The editorial cited a study of two traffic-cam equipped intersections that were very similar except one light had a three-second yellow & the other a six-second yellow. Not surprisingly, the three-second light caught approximately 3 times as many offenders. The study also disclosed that at 50 or 55 mph, some drivers in close proximity to the faster light as it turned yellow had to brake hard to avoid running the light, which could not always be done safely. In other words, these lights are dangerous & entrapping.

Partnering with the camera companies & then giving them carte blanche to set the timing cycles on traffic signals is not just a conflict of interest issue, it could even be construed as criminal negligence if a wrongful death suit was brought against the municipality. Why can't they just buy or lease the cameras, keep all the proceeds, and let their traffic engineers decide the light cycles? Better still, use the cameras for traffic studies to help determine a safe yellow length before sending out more tickets.

 

here in new jersey, the length of the yellow light is proportional to the speed limit on the particular road it is facing.

as an example, the highway has a 50 mph speed limit, and the yellow light is set at 6 seconds.
the intersecting road has a 25 mph speed limit, and the yellow is only 3 seconds.

 

One of my assistants at work got a ticket from the red light enforcement here in Atlanta. The pictures showed that she was 200ft from the limit line when the light was already red. She decided to contest it, went to court and stated that she was afraid of grtting rear-ended that's why she didn't stop. The judge started the video that the cameras take and no one was behind her. Then she changed her story to she was rushing her son to the doctor. After confirming that story,(she had the paperwork from the doctor) The judge also tacked a child endangerment charge on her. So instead of a $70 ticket she had to pay $250.00

 

Exidenick your assistant truly deserved that ticket! 200 feet from the intersection and she decides to run through the light???

 

We have them; they take running reds here pretty seriously... $287.00 whether it is by camera or police officer.

This is probably why:

Edit:

I've also seen a Honda type with an LCD 'cover' over the plate, flip a switch in the car and the LCD blanks out.

 

When the green turns to yellow you should be able to stop safely WITHOUT having to stop fast. Thats why going the speed limit is inportant. A speeding car is the one that has trouble making the light.

 

So what happens with a truck? My 97 weighs 14K and I pull a trailer either 7K or 12K. 6 seconds might be fine for a car but it is not happening with the truck? Then when the 6 becomes 3 or 4 so they make more money, all I do is go through yellows. NJ is the arm pit of the country, and all the politicians want our money. I might as well send in my whole paycheck along with my license.

 

Just another way cities have found to seperate the citizen from there money. It is a major scam. One private company in scottsdale that makes vans and cameras makes nearly 40,000. dollars an hour. Probably more than that by now.
Here you cannot fight these in court. Very illegal IMO.

 

The biggest problem is with people who don't understand what the meaning of the yellow (formerly amber) light means.
It means Clear The Intersection

Not enter it.
It's a "Timing" thing.

This of course is determined by speed.
People shouldn't be speeding
Of course there are times when people feel that the rules & laws of the road don't apply to them.
I have news for them.

The rules apply to everyone.

People need to know what a "Stale Green" light is.
Well, It is one that is almost over in its cycle meaning a Yellow will soon appear. Get ready ..adjust your speed and your attention to detail around you as the soon to appear yellow means ....clear the intersection.

This of course means.. If you don't abide by it the consequences could be a fine or a collision.


The reason Red Light cameras are installed is because there are TOO MANY lousy and uncaring drivers on the road running red lights.. and putting other people at risk.

So they are caught and fined to hopefully change their thinking and driving habits by having to pay a fine.
In Calgary, the fine I think is $500.00


IMO, it should be a $1000.00

 

In all due respect man, if your pulling a trailer, you should be driving a little slower and alot more cautiously anyways. Having more weight is not an excuse to be going through any lights, having more weight is just an excuse to be driving slower and alot more safely.


What i dont get is when people say there shouldnt be red light cameras. So just because an officer isnt right there means it is legal to run a light?

 

The idea is for the registered driver to be more careful in who they let drive their vehicles,,, to only allow responsible people drive their car or they get to pay for the people who get caught.

This way ....the owner gets to say..... You don't drive according to the law so ....no ....you can't use my car.



There is also a fine for covering a license plate ..with anything

 

We have them everywhere here... along with speed camera's too. I personally am a big fan of them.

Its amazing how many people will quite happily speed up to save them maybe a minute and risk thier life in the process... whats the rush???

 

Around here, it is not safe to go through a green light! Red light runners, many of them. I wish we had the cameras.