Red Light Cameras

The Bug House

By The Bug House
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Red Light Cameras  

9 members have voted

  1. 1. Red Light Cameras

    • Sacraficing personal privacy is important in the name of "Public Safety"
      0
    • Ther're ok as long as the are strictly regulated. (Fine caps, limit location & numbers)
      2
    • Blatant violation of my constituional rights.
      6
    • I WON'T STAND FOR THIS BIG BROTHER, EYE IN THE SKY CRAP! YOU'RE GONNA READ ABOUT ME IN THE NEWS!
      1

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The Bug House 10-Pointer

The Bug House

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I had to truck the family down to NY for a funeral a couple weeks ago, and I got a ticket in the mail from the eye in the sky. Needless to say, I'm a tad angered over it. There have been several cases ruled unconstitutional by several Judges in different states. I did view the video on the website, and I did roll through a red light ... however I was not operating in an unsafe manner whatsoever. Personally, I fell if there is not an officer witnessing your infraction, they are not entitled to issue you a ticket.

Just wanted to get opinions from you guys.

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wtnhunt Monster Buck

wtnhunt

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Keep on wondering about those and some of the speed trap camera deals. Usually have kids in the vehicle with me and I will not run a red light, just not worth it, but I have passed through plenty of yellow that change pretty quickly and while looking back to make sure it was not red before I got out of the intersection wondered if I might end up with a ticket if the timing just happened to be off.

While I know the constitution does not specifically mention these type things and do not see where they can be construed as uncontitutional I don't know at what point the line is crossed in the name of "safety". A lot of the regs are pure crap these days. Seatbelts were not required when I was a kid, can remember plenty of vehicles I rode in that did not even have them. Now my 12 year old by the weight/height standards should have to be in a car seat??? Pretty ridiculous. I know a lot of elderly that by the "standards" set by those who know what is best for us should also have to be in carseats.

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The Bug House 10-Pointer

The Bug House

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Obey the law and you have nothing to worry about. It's not an invasion of privacy at all IMHO, you're in a public place, driving on a public road. I do feel it's just a revenue machine and I don't care what explanation they give you, it's a pure money maker.

I read an article which described these surveillance programs as "crack cocaine" for the towns that install them. Once they get taste of the money it brings in, they just cannot stop adding more. We has to travel back and forth to the funeral home about 8 times down a busy stretch of highway, with several large intersections,. With each picture taken, a flash goes off, there were so many photos being continuously taken, it looked the the super bowl or something! Felt like thery should be broadcasting cash register noises as well! Lol

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The Bug House 10-Pointer

The Bug House

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Keep on wondering about those and some of the speed trap camera deals. Usually have kids in the vehicle with me and I will not run a red light, just not worth it, but I have passed through plenty of yellow that change pretty quickly and while looking back to make sure it was not red before I got out of the intersection wondered if I might end up with a ticket if the timing just happened to be off.

While I know the constitution does not specifically mention these type things and do not see where they can be construed as uncontitutional I don't know at what point the line is crossed in the name of "safety". A lot of the regs are pure crap these days. Seatbelts were not required when I was a kid, can remember plenty of vehicles I rode in that did not even have them. Now my 12 year old by the weight/height standards should have to be in a car seat??? Pretty ridiculous. I know a lot of elderly that by the "standards" set by those who know what is best for us should also have to be in carseats.

I think that with the number of drivers on the road today, and the false sense of security given by the technologically advanced vehicles nowadays, only the foolish wouldn't buckle up , or put the kiddos in a car seat. But I also think that there is really no need for many of the laws in place regarding "safety"

ETA: I totally agree with what you're saying about these cars seat guidelines.

Edited by The Bug House
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The Bug House 10-Pointer

The Bug House

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Red Light Cameras

The trouble I have with the "just obey the law and you won't have a problem" argument is this: I'm an extremely safe driver, I've had 1 incident in the short 24 years I've had my operators license. My insurance rates are rock bottom because of my driving record. I've never had a moving violation, and I am completely legal .. I won't even drive with an inspection 1 day over due. I've not changed my driving habits one bit, and now all of a sudden I'm getting ticketed for it.

JMO

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Shaun_300 Monster Buck

Shaun_300

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I personally think it is a bit overkill. There's some in downtown Ottawa that I have seen but there's not a lot of them where I drive normally. I think there are a lot of variables when it comes to rush hour traffic that the cameras cannot see. If traffic is flowing at 50mph, 3 lanes wide, bumper to bumper where it usually is where I am driving in that area. It is more dangerous to hit the brakes to stop at the red light and get rear ended and cause a pile up from the idiot behind you not paying attention and texting on the phone. Think I'd rather get the ticket LOL. Plus it's hard to judge the lights, depending on the area of the city, what time of day it is, what day it is, etc. They all vary. Some of the advanced green lights are so fast you're lucky to get 3 cars to turn left through an intersection with 5 lanes of traffic going every direction. Then sit and wait 3 minutes + for the next round. I dunno, I think there's much better things money could be spent on when it comes to traffic enforcement if you ask me.

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Rhino Monster Buck

Rhino

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Not sure about up there but down here they are contracted by the cities or towns through a private company. Found that out through a DA in a city down here. The company gets a cut for every ticket issued. The more tickets, the more money they make. That part bothers me.

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MUDRUNNER Monster Buck

MUDRUNNER

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I never could stand the idea of red light cameras. They preach up and down about how they are there for public safety and not for profit, but everybody knows it's a huge money grab. Why not just extend yellow lights by a second or two? Problem solved, intersections are safer, and no need for red light cameras. Oh yea...that doesn't put "free money" in a bunch of crooks pockets.

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dbHunterNY Monster Buck

dbHunterNY

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some things require real warm body developed logic and common sense. you can't make laws and regulations whenever you have a problem and expect it's just going to go away.

I don't know how the system is engineered to function, but lets say i'm turning left at an intersection. the light turns green. I roll ahead but yield to traffic going straight through. now while waiting the light turns red. traffic stops and I continue through to get out of the way. camera picks me up moving through when I've technically got a red light and takes my picture. I get a ticket when I didn't do anything wrong. they aren't going to pay someone to investigate each incident and I don't want my tax dollars to fund that kind of time. however, I don't expect pay the cost of that ticket until they redesign things deal with that specific case, if they redesign things at all.

we have a lot of radar/"your speed is__ " stations with cameras on them. that I think is fine, because their function seems to be simple enough that they rarely screw someone over in an unjust manner.

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Dawg Monster Buck

Dawg

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The trouble I have with the "just obey the law and you won't have a problem" argument is this: I'm an extremely safe driver, I've had 1 incident in the short 24 years I've had my operators license. My insurance rates are rock bottom because of my driving record. I've never had a moving violation, and I am completely legal .. I won't even drive with an inspection 1 day over due. I've not changed my driving habits one bit, and now all of a sudden I'm getting ticketed for it.

JMO

You admitted to breaking the law......but now you aren't sure why you got the ticket?

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Adjam5 Monster Buck

Adjam5

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Bottom line here. In America. You are NOT guilty until proven. You have the right to face your accuser. By issuing a red light camera ticket and demanding a fine. You are NOT afforded DUE PROCESS. Most folks don't have the time to go fight a $65 ticket and will just pay it. That is how it is here in NYC. It is all about revenue generation. Fines people can pay. It is the points that folks don't want that will increase their insurance. So if safety is their goal...the driver needs to be ticketed...Not the registrant. Its total bull. I drive to work daily to Ground Zero from Rockland everyday. I pass 5 red light cams every morning and 7 on the way home exiting Manhattan. They have one right before you get on the Westside Hwy. Very sneaky location and a big money maker for NYC. Having worked for Traffic and street light contractors in NYC...I know how the lights cycle and know when its going to change by the pedestrian signals in the crosswalk. I drive accordingly. I have almost been rear ended 2x by drivers who were gonna blow the light, but I stopped because of the camera that I knew was there. In the 3 years I have been working on the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I have never gotten a red light cam ticket. But then again...You gonna hate this Bug...I worked for the contractor(05-08) that installed about 60% of the red light cams in NYC. So I know where they are. Due Process is not given with red light camera tickets.

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wtnhunt Monster Buck

wtnhunt

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we have a lot of radar/"your speed is__ " stations with cameras on them. We have those too..they always show my speed is faster than the posted speed..they must be set up wrong!.....lol

Or your speedometer is wrong Martin. Most of those I have driven by have been fairly close within +- 2 mph.

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Strut10 Monster Buck

Strut10

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Here's my take.

I am staunchly against governmental intrusions into my constitutional liberties.

HOWEVER................. driving is a PRIVILEGE not a right.

I drive a commercial vehicle in a suburban commercial area environment 50 or so hours a week. The OVERWHELMING percentage of auto "accidents" I see are intersection accidents. I would take a rough guess that during the course of ONE working day I personally witness 20-30 stop sign and red light violations (including the famous left turn on red at the end of the green light).

I feel that it IS a case, in this instance, that if one is NOT breaking the law he doesn't get a ticket. Gassing on it to beat a yellow light is not only unsafe, it is a crapshoot with the law. You either ARE or you ARE NOT under the light when it turns red. Pretty simple. Your wheels either STOP COMPLETELY at a stop sign.......... or they DO NOT. If you gamble and lose I really have no pity. The very best scenario in non-stop violations is that the driver gets a ticket. Intersection "accidents" (I use quotes because they are not "accidents". They are stupidity and/or ignorance on somebody's part) are some of the most violent. How would you feel if you had to go through the rest of your life knowing you injured or killed another motorist or passenger because you couldn't wait the 1 or 2 or 3 minutes for the next green light ?

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kudu88

kudu88

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Red Light Cameras

I live near Chicago and they are all over the place here. I got a ticket by one last year and did some research into it. In Illinois as long as the camera has a sign within 100 feet of it it's legal. I watched the video and I was turning right on red. You could see my brake lights were on as I rolled through looking for traffic. I could have fought it and probably lost turning my $100 fine into much more with court fees. Now every morning I stop and wait for it to go green before I go much to everyone behind me displeasure. Bottom line is you have to stop at a red light. The cameras suck for sure and I agree with Adjam that they violate due process but it is cheaper to pay the fine via mail

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The Bug House 10-Pointer

The Bug House

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I live near Chicago and they are all over the place here. I got a ticket by one last year and did some research into it. In Illinois as long as the camera has a sign within 100 feet of it it's legal. I watched the video and I was turning right on red. You could see my brake lights were on as I rolled through looking for traffic. I could have fought it and probably lost turning my $100 fine into much more with court fees. Now every morning I stop and wait for it to go green before I go much to everyone behind me displeasure. Bottom line is you have to stop at a red light. The cameras suck for sure and I agree with Adjam that they violate due process but it is cheaper to pay the fine via mail

Agreed, and that's the only reason I paid it .. Less financial impact.

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