Comments on: Red Light Cameras Stir Controversy

Proponents Say They Are For Safety, Critics Say They Are Intended For Revenue Purposes

[linfinster]

Anyone who owns a car that goes thru a red light shoud know who was driving it when. That should remove the confusion of getting a ticket when you were not behind the wheel. Anyone caught would pay the fine, having signed a contract with the owner of the car. Seems like that might work. I hope they keep the cameras. People should slow down and drive more carefully. Insurance rates and medical expenses are through the roof and this could go a long way in reducing my insurance premiums. then again, it would probably just mean more money in the pockets of the rich company owners .. tsk tsk.
Hmm wonder how I got so negative.

[dhague]

Most of the comments seem to center on the prospect of a rear-end collision because the lead car "suddenly" stopped at a changing light. In point of fact, the driver of the car behind is the one responsible for maintaining proper distance... and since the traffic light is visible to that following driver as well, the excuse that the car in front "suddenly" stopped is pure baloney.

The argument that a camera identifies a car and not a driver is only valid if the camera isn't set up to record the driver's face, as they are here in Europe. I'd think that even in an American court, that should hold up as well as, say, a surveillance camera tape of a robbery for identifying the "perpetrator".

As for a lack of officer discretion, I've yet to hear of an automated traffic ticket here that can't be challenged. Here, they can be challenged in writing when the bill is received and if necessary appealed in a court of law. As a rule, the system is more than reasonable (I have successfully challenged two tickets I believed to be in error with simple written statements of the facts.

If there is an accident involved, there will be an on-scene investigation by the police. There is almost always a cop around when you really need one because they're not sitting around with radar guns or watching intersections.

[suiteo1]

cbscrash07: I'm sure you already figured out I'm also in one of those fabulous California cities!


iambaker: Good catch! Can't wait to hear what you have to say when you actually read the article.

[iambaker]

And red lights are not capable of handing out anything...

Wow. I give up. Haven't even read the article yet!

[iambaker]

Also, "no where" should be "nowhere."

Does CBS proof its stuff?

[iambaker]

Just thought you should know that the byline on the homepage misspells brake as break.

Well done.

[Syndicate]

J14-E: My wifes car is my name I never drive it.

There is aslo evidence that municipalities have shortened the yellow light time to increase revenues.

Suiteo1: my feelings exactly. Here in california cities are required to set their lights up to improve the flow of traffic. Few do that and some use them as speed control devices. I am waiting to get a ticket in their city then we are going to have some fun. I think I will have to execute my constitutional right to a Jury trial in any matter involving more than $20.00

[roo1974]

hi there,i have just seen this segment in australia, and i find it hard to believe that its taken this long for the states to use these cameras. australias been using them for years, of course we dont like them, but we accept them because the laws the law.
the police here give people with multiple vehicles to get the driver to accept responsibility for the crime they have committed. if not the owner accepts it, as if they dont know with a logbook who is driving a company vehicle, what are they doing in business?
i think any way to stop americas hostilities i experienced on the road when i was there would be a massive blessing.
maybe theres some people in the american society that need to learn to obey the law to protect innocent peoples lives, especially those who dont understand the consequences if you happened to kill someone running a red light.

[suiteo1]

It%u2019s the ugly head of greed!

If these cities, including mine, would spend the money to correct all the out of sync lights to conform to traffic load instead, we would have fewer people running red lights. But cities won't do this because it means extra income for them from the citations that get issued. Now they use these cameras for even more income!

I for one am tired of being the last car to cross the intersection only to have the light suddenly and unexpectedly change yellow to red just as I'm about to cross! How many times do you just take off from a red light only to be stopped the next block for yet another one? Why does the green %u201Cturn%u201D arrow only let about a quarter of that traffic lane through before turning red again? It%u2019s frustrating. No wonder so many people are racing red lights, their tired of being stopped every block!

A friend of mine who works for the city told me of a meeting they had where workers were asked what suggestions they had for reducing the wear and tear on city maintenance vehicles. Apparently they had to replace worn out brakes far too often. My friend told them the same thing, to synchronize the lights so the main flow of traffic doesn%u2019t have to %u201Cstop and go%u201D so much. That was 10 years ago, do you think they listened? What a joke!

[brucesmall]

Red light cameras do indeed cause a slight increase in fender benders, but that is nothing compared to the serious smashups they deter. The rate of serious accidents and injuries go way down with red light cameras.

As to driving on slippery roads and being "forced" to run the red light, baloney! If the road is that slippery you'd better slow down so you can maintain control over your vehicle. That is the legal standard.