Bill to ban traffic cameras gets first hearing

[DenverChief]

I know there was a discussion about how to defeat Red Light/Photo Radar cameras here a while back - I'm too lazy to look it up - so new thread....anyway seems like this might be the ultimate way to defeat them - lobby your lawmakers at the state level

DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers are trying to ban red-light and speeding cameras, but they're facing opposition from local governments.

The proposal from Greeley Republican Sen. Scott Renfroe is getting its first hearing and vote in a Senate committee Monday afternoon. The bill would forbid cities and towns from using the automated traffic enforcement devices.

The Colorado Municipal League, which represents more than 250 communities in the state, says it should be up to cities and towns to decide the matter on their own, and that the cameras are important to public safety.

Renfroe argues the cameras are used to make money, not to improve public safety.

Democratic Sen. Lucia Guzman and Democratic Senate President Morgan Carroll are co-sponsoring the bill, giving the proposal a good chance to pass the chamber.

http://www.9news.com/story/news/poli...aring/7704399/

[Skyy God]

I'm pretty sure the cop could have charged him with CNI (or worse) for hitting a hotel.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by ForeverChiefs58

Yeah I had a guy run a red light and almost killed me and my family. He was probably doing close to 80 mph in a 35 when he flew through a red light and hit me, crossed 4 lanes of traffic, impact, then went through median and another 4 lanes of traffic before going up steep embankment and up a hill before crashing into front of hotel. He was given a ticket for running a red light and not wearing seat belt. Cop said he couldn't give guy a speeding ticket because since he never even bothered to hit brakes, no skid makes or way of knowing how fast he was going. There were cameras at the light, but they were disabled because of this stupid system.

The cameras can help deter red light runners and help proving cause of accident

He was going 80 in a 35 and never even tried to apply the brakes.

Yeah, I'm sure he would have stopped if he thought he was going to get a $100 ticket.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by ForeverChiefs58

I would like it if they just kept the cameras for use in accidents. If they were serious about caring about safety, the cameras can make a big impact on accidents in intersections

Yeah, in a lot of places, the number of accidents go UP.

[Jimmya]

Cameras are just another way for the local government to make extra revenue.

[Eleazar]

We have them here, and recently there's been a major series of lawsuits based on all the crooked dealings and bribery that led to this company getting their cameras placed over the competition's.

In any case, I drive through one of these daily and I don't think it is reducing accidents. Not that reducing accidents is really the point of these, of course, they are money-printing machines for the city -

but because of the cameras, people are likely to hammer on their brakes when approaching this intersection to avoid getting a ticket and cause a rear-end accident. That seems far more likely to cause an accident than someone who clears the intersection when the light is orange.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Cochise

We have them here, and recently there's been a major series of lawsuits based on all the crooked dealings and bribery that led to this company getting their cameras placed over the competition's.

In any case, I drive through one of these daily and I don't think it is reducing accidents. Not that reducing accidents is really the point of these, of course, they are money-printing machines for the city -

but because of the cameras, people are likely to hammer on their brakes when approaching this intersection to avoid getting a ticket and cause a rear-end accident. That seems far more likely to cause an accident than someone who clears the intersection when the light is orange.

You are correct on all points.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Jimmya

Cameras are just another way for the local government to make extra revenue.

Other than anecdotal references to safety (to allow them), that's all they're there for. Once they went to having contractors to "run" it, went to a "mail-out tickets" solution, and the contractors saying they'd need only a cut of the fines as payment, any thoughts on it being there for safety kind of flew out the window. Basically the city hides behind some goofy "safety" angle, they do nothing but have money pour in...

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

Other than anecdotal references to safety (to allow them), that's all they're there for. Once they went to having contractors to "run" it, went to a "mail-out tickets" solution, and the contractors saying they'd need only a cut of the fines as payment, any thoughts on it being there for safety kind of flew out the window. Basically the city hides behind some goofy "safety" angle, they do nothing but have money pour in...

There have been a couple of actual studies here (commissioned by watchdog groups) that have proven they're actually making a few intersections more dangerous...

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

There have been a couple of actual studies here (commissioned by watchdog groups) that have proven they're actually making a few intersections more dangerous...

Yep, if you really want safer intersections you make longer yellow lights. They've found tyese these companies putting up the RLCs have been actually making them as short as possible to increase tickets.

Up here in Chicago they did that and accidents have not been reduced by the cameras and gone up at some intersections. Compared to Evanston just north of us, who doesn't have any cameras and has lengthened their Yellow lights to at least 4.5 seconds and usually 5.0+ seconds and accidents have been on a steady decline.

Money grab and NOTHING more.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Yep, if you really want safer intersections you make longer yellow lights. They've found tyese these companies putting up the RLCs have been actually making them as short as possible to increase tickets.

Up here in Chicago they did that and accidents have not been reduced by the cameras and gone up at some intersections. Compared to Evanston just north of us, who doesn't have any cameras and has lengthened their Yellow lights to at least 4.5 seconds and usually 5.0+ seconds and accidents have been on a steady decline.

Money grab and NOTHING more.

Yeah, the shortening of the yellow lights is crazy. In a lot of cases, they knew they could get away with it because nobody had timed yellow lights before, they had no reason to care.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Yeah, the shortening of the yellow lights is crazy. In a lot of cases, they knew they could get away with it because nobody had timed yellow lights before, they had no reason to care.

NHTSA has stated that the minimum recommended duration no matter how slow the posted limit is should be no less than 3.0 seconds.

These companies have lobbied to get all the yellows changed to that - and you'll notice that the Yellow light at the next intersection or the one preceding a RLC intersection will not be 3 seconds but proportionally longer. This is a joke.

Even worse are the companies that got caught setting the Yellows to 2.9 or 2.8 seconds. May seem insignificant, but it caused a surge in tickets generated, and sadly a rise in accidents at some of those intersections.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by Jiu Jitsu Jon

16 year old girl texting on phone runs red light, kills a motorist. Good thing that red light camera was there to prevent that from happening. It's a controversy in my neck of the woods as well, and I'm a-gin' it.

So, this example here makes sense to you somehow?

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

So, this example here makes sense to you somehow?

I believe it was sarcasm- because the RLC didn't and doesn't do anything to increase safety or prevent accidents.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Yep, if you really want safer intersections you make longer yellow lights. They've found tyese these companies putting up the RLCs have been actually making them as short as possible to increase tickets.

Up here in Chicago they did that and accidents have not been reduced by the cameras and gone up at some intersections. Compared to Evanston just north of us, who doesn't have any cameras and has lengthened their Yellow lights to at least 4.5 seconds and usually 5.0+ seconds and accidents have been on a steady decline.

Money grab and NOTHING more.

Or get the cops out of wherever they are and station them at those intersections enough to keep the regulars guessing. After that, all you have to do is park a cop car there (instead of letting cops drive them home and park them in their driveways), and you might find folks slow down.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

Or get the cops out of wherever they are and station them at those intersections enough to keep the regulars guessing. After that, all you have to do is park a cop car there (instead of letting cops drive them home and park them in their driveways), and you might find folks slow down.

One of the cities here did that and guess what? It worked.