Interesting article about a Maryland red light camera:

Motorists Seeing Red
over Red Light Cameras


Roby Chavez
New Carrolton, Md. - The town of New Carrolton's new mobile red light cameras are snapping up pictures like the paparazzi and motorists are calling the cameras out.
Danielle King got two tickets and says she's been wrongly accused. "I got caught by one up there," says King referring to the cameras along route 450.

Motorists complain they are being wrongly accused. King says," I think they need to go away. I just think they are unfair. They need to go away."

Fox 5 camera's stood at one intersection near 85th Avenue and caught the camera popping off like popcorn.
75 dollar citations. One motorist shared his ticket.
He got cited in his white van, but a closer look at the ticket shows the vehicle is at a complete stop. Complaints are pouring in.

AAA Mid-Atlantic's John Townsend says it appears drivers are getting ticketed; not for running the red light, but for stopping over the white line.

Townsend blasted the camera saying, "This is the most egregious one we've seen. It is so beyond the pale. It not only violated the spirit of the law it violates the letter of the law. It may be illegal in the state of Maryland. "

During a short period, the camera flashs continually went off when cars were at a complete stop. We asked one motorist, "Did you go past the red light." The unidentified driver said, "no I didn't, I'm still stopped here at the red light. If I went thru then you wouldn't be talking to me know. The camera went off. So am I going to get a ticket? Oh no. "

Townsend said, "These people legally stopped for a red light, but they ventured into this box and they consider that technically to be red light running and it's not. It smacks of I got you; a game just for money"

As the camera snapped another picture, we asked another motorist, "Do you realize you just got a red light ticket. The unidentified woman said, "You've got to be kidding. You are kidding. Did you pass the red light? No!"

Some say it's not just a camera, but a cash cow--snapping up photos of unsuspecting motorist.
Townsend said many motorists don't even contest the tickets, in fact one woman confirmed that saying; "if I got it I wouldn't fight it no. If the camera is set to do it that way I just have to pay the ticket.

Townsend admits he's one of those recently ticketed, but he fought it.

Fox 5 made an effort to talk with the New Carrollton Police Department and the city about the issue.
The chief said he'll answer questions during office hours.
Triple A says they've received numerous complaints from several cities using the mobile red light cameras along the Route 450 corridor; including Bladensburg and Riverdale.

People are just making excuses for not stopping. No one is forcing people to ignore the red light

If you are talking about a theoretical world of what people should do, then there isn't a need for light cameras to begin with because everyone SHOULD stop at the red light. So just because the trailing car SHOULD stop at the light doesn't mean it will. The practical result of the lead car stopping hard to avoid a red light camera is that the trailing car either stops even harder or collides with the rear end of the lead car. Each subsequent car needs more time to stop because of the delayed response of the driver. Better public policy is extending the amber light and inserting a delay between the red light so that all lights at the intersection are red before the next green.

So why can't the second car see that the light is turning red too? Shouldn't he also be stopping too?

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And people do stop at red lights. They stop harder and faster because they don't want a ticket. Unfortunately that more often leads to the car behind them smashing into the rear of their car.

I am all for these cameras. How do the cameras increase accidents? If anything they should lessen them.

If people don't want tickets, then stop at red lights

Mississippi state House votes 117-3 to ban red light and speed cameras. Public protest against photo ticketing grows in Maryland and Missouri.

A near-unanimous Mississippi state House of Representatives voted Wednesday to ban red light cameras and speed cameras while anti-camera citizen protest movements gathered steam in other parts of the country. Mississippi state Representative Edward Blackmon, Jr. (D-Canton) inadvertently kicked off the effort when he introduced a measure designed to give legislative approval to the use of photo enforcement so long as ticket records were not shared with insurance companies. Blackmon's proposal was a clever way to encourage the city councils of Columbus, Jackson, McComb, Natchez, Southaven and Tupelo, all of which have approved red light camera ordinances, in the guise of placing limitations on automated ticketing machines.

The state House Judiciary Committee would have none of it. The panel rewrote Blackmon's measure to ban not just the reporting of photo tickets to insurance companies, but also the issuance a photo ticket for any offense other than a toll violation.

"A civil or criminal traffic citation may not be issued as the result of the use of automated recording equipment on state, county or municipal highways, roads and streets, and any evidence obtained from such use shall not be reported to the Department of Public Safety for any purpose, to any person or entity for the use on any credit report or to any insurance company for insurance purposes," House Bill 1568 now states.

Blackmon was one of only three House members who voted against the revised legislation which now heads to the state Senate for its consideration.

In the state of Missouri, a group of concerned Kansas City residents gathered this weekend to protest red light cameras. The event took place at the location of the city's first red light camera which is to be activated later this week. The citizens' group Liberty Restoration Project insisted that red light cameras increase accidents (view studies) and urged passersby to support Senate Bill 211, a measure that would ban all photo ticketing (view details). The legislation will be considered in a state Senate hearing this week.

At the same time in Maryland, a group of citizens gathered on Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase, just over the border from Washington, DC, to protest at the site of a notorious speed camera trap. Members of the newly formed DC.CameraFraud.com pointed out that the speed cameras were located on a six-lane boulevard -- not a school zone or residential neighborhood as required by state law -- and that the cameras themselves were hidden behind trees and signs. The group hopes to raise awareness in the Washington, DC metropolitan area as Virginia municipalities begin to re-install red light cameras, the District adds new speed cameras and the Maryland legislature contemplates using photo radar on freeways for the first time.

Nice catch Fat Ass.

I personally would love one of these at the corner of monmouth and second. Anyone who has crossed there knows its a free for all at that corner with people constantly taking a left on red and running that light with impunity.

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READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

The report, authored by researchers at Rice University and Texas A&M University?s Texas Transportation Institute, showed crashes increased slightly at intersection approaches where cameras had been installed. The number of crashes, however, rose dramatically at unmonitored lanes of those same intersections, leading the study authors to conclude that the cameras had kept collisions lower than they would have been without the devices.

"The Houston Police Department is considering changes ? possibly even expansion ? to its red-light camera program after a city-commissioned study showed that crashes went up at intersections where the devices have been installed."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6247280.html

Or could it be that people from outside the town may travel through? I know JC gets it fair share of people cutting through to go to the tunnel. Perhaps that is the case here?

From my understanding you can request the photo of the ticket issued, so you can work out which member of the family took the car out.

From the link article above, maybe that town has a low average IQ or drivers have a slow learning curve - then again it could be a way people prefer to donate to their town!

BRING ON THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS !

Red light cameras issue 45,000 tickets in a town of 38,500 people.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedconte ... meduncameras.38f22d7.html

nice...

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I stated that earlier with a different twist. Don't worry it's coming.

hey the way people drive around here, the revenue will allow the city to reduce property taxes. yeah, right.

The Fark headline sort of says it all: "Rigged red-light cameras net $170 million for crooked authorities in Italy. Thank goodness that can't happen here"

Traffic stops aren't just for catching crap drivers. It also helps catch people with outstanding warrants, gun runners, drug-traffickers etc, etc, etc. More friggin' TRAFFIC STOPS! It is not rocket science JCPD!

If they really want to increase safety, I would suggest better traffic patrols and cops instructed to actually hold people accountable for their crappy driving.

People in JC (and all of northern NJ, really) tend to act like traffic laws in general do not apply to them. I see crazy, clueless, stupid, rude, "me first" crap every single day, and if I see one more idiot almost kill someone while holding their cell phone to their head, I'm going to freaking lose it!

And cheating spouses, don't forget about E-Z Pass being used to catch cheating spouses. K-Lo, I think you may have just hit on something. Why not install E-Z Pass sensors at intersections to catch people running red lights, stop signs, etc?? And the fine could just be added to the monthly bill...

And let's not forget EZ Pass. Ever see how often it's used to track suspects on Law & Order?

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People have already unwittingly agreed to this, more or less. What is Lo-Jack or OnStar? They're essentially tracking devices. A lot of cell phones nowadays also come with GPS tracking. Funny how when you sell this technology in the name of preventing people from becoming victims, they're all for it. But mention the possibility that it might be used to catch them breaking the law as well and suddenly they scream privacy rights. If they're prepared to accept this technology, they better be prepared to have it cut both ways.

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You agree with having a sensor in your vehicle so all of your travels will be tracked from start to finish? It's not gonna happen. Not in this country. Too many people would freak out.

And, gosh, I can't believe I actually AGREE with Heights on something. I feel like singing Kumbaya!

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Snort! The special-interest website and the sponsor of the study are about as credible and unbiased as the NRA posting a study proclaiming "Guns Don't Kill People..." Love the ads, too, including this one: "High Gloss Spray Makes License Plates Invisible to Traffic Cameras." Basically it's a website for aggressive/reckless drivers on how to break the law - and get away with it too.

The red light cameras are well over due and I hope they generate millions for the City.

The benefit of these cameras will be to highlight who ran a red light if an accident occurs - This will reduce and crap being said by drivers who blame one another.

This will also help catch ass-wipes who hit and run pedestrians that run the lights.

I think they should put sensors on cars and in traffic areas so when the driver drives "outside the box" the driver is then automaticaly guilty as charged. $$$ Insurance companies are already using this system rating drivers how they drive as they drive.

Ok

Morning crossing Jersey and Newark. Sign says "go". You can not even pass 1/2 though Jersey and the pass light says do not walk. I am healthy and early 40's. Cars are right and ready to turn or hit the gas. In the Evening, same intersection, I could walk from Erie and the walk sign is still a go.

Hummm

Longer yellows create safer intersections. Shorter yellows turn intersections into profit machines. The responses on this thread could be offered as proof supporting dictatorial oligarchies.

Think again. It will not work.

I work for a "black car " service in NYC. A/P dept.

Car goes through a red light. Camera captures plate. 2 months later a bill comes on through. You can not try to beat that bill.

Was the car stolen? Did you let you friend or child use the car? Was I "me"?

It does not stop the red light problem. The only thing that happens is the city/state gets the money no matter how you cut it.

Because you are not able to beat the ticket they collect $75.

The camera does not "pull" you over so people will still run a red light.

After living in Manhattan and Brooklyn, I never seen more people slide through red lights. Jersey and Newark is a gamble. Left right forward behind.

Spend the money but I see no results.

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If that's a safety improvement, shouldn't we just do away with the green light altogether?