I am very upset over this

[alko]

I've seen, so many times, where people slam on their brakes, because they remember just alittle too late, that there is a red light camera at that intersection. HOWEVER...they usually end up stopped in the middle of the intersection. At that point buddy...you just need to roll on through. But yes...I think the red light camera's have done more harm than good. I'm sure people have rear-ended other drivers because they slam on their brakes.

Now as far as speed camera's go, I'm more for them. Our society is so fast paced these days that people disregard speed limit signs and are burling down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic. What they need to do is get back to good ole fashioned policing. I rarely see, in Maryland that is, State Troopers/County Police sitting on the side of the road anymore. I heard on the radio, the other day, the following statement:

"Traffic related deaths have gone significantly up within the last year. BUT...pedestrian deaths have gone down."

:-| <--straight face...probably because you don't see people playing frogger on the beltway, and people know that they no longer have the right-of-way even though the law states they do.

Slow down people...we're killing each other. These traffic accidents have become so violent in recent years.

[CEE DOG]

CeeDog, your quote is correct, mine is off. But kinda interprets the same. My aploogies to Mr. Franklin.

He probably said it many different ways! And he was right each time.

[dougaross]

Yep, but why stop at speed cameras? Why not let government put monitoring cameras on every city block so that they can track all crimes that occur?

With all due respect, it's people like you that are allowing this country to go down the road of 1984.

Put sensors in every car that transmit speeding to receiver located around the city.Now that 's really big brother and the car owner would be paying for the hardware in the car.

[FUNX650]

Put sensors in every car that transmit speeding to receiver located around the city.Now that 's really big brother and the car owner would be paying for the hardware in the car.

I've heard that starting 7/1/2011, all vehicles manufactured in, and imported to, the USA will have a "Black Box" (NASCAR style) installed at the factory, at the buyers expense of course. I can only be in awe at the proposed uses for this intrusion!!!

Bob

[VIP Reflections]

not to worry, with every thing the government can throw at us there must be a counter. the got radar, we got radar detectors. they get red light cameras, we get tinted plate covers. Maybe someone can invent a type of EMP device that disables the speed cameras or confuses them

[LegacyGT]

not to worry, with every thing the government can throw at us there must be a counter. the got radar, we got radar detectors. they get red light cameras, we get tinted plate covers. Maybe someone can invent a type of EMP device that disables the speed cameras or confuses them

I collected some articles and even setup a website for a while when the red light cameras came to my town:

Red light cameras double accident rates: Mayor argues red-light cameras slowed uptick in wrecks | Front page | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Local teens claim pranks on county's Speed Cams


There were more, but most of the links are dead now.

[BorisC]

A few interesting reads.

6 Cities That Were Caught Shortening Yellow Light Times For Profit

Speed Cameras | National Motorists Association

[SRTSean]

Like SRTSean said, give them an inch, and they take a mile. Same goes for "Roadside Safety Checks". (Road blocks). It isn't about safety, it's about money and power. If it's about safety and slowing down, just put a squad car on the side of the road with the lights flashing. That will slow people down.

Before any officers dispute this, I don't think for a second that you aren't concerned about safety, or doing what's best for the situation. The money and power thing comes from the politicians who oversee the upper echelon of law enforcement, and as we all know, S*** runs down hill.

Ben Franklin said those who will give up liberty for safety will soon have neither.

Cameras are a bad idea concocted by politicians, and if that doesn't scare you, it should. It's like the frog in water saying. Put the frog in cold water, then turn on the heat. By the time the frog realizes it, he's cooked.

EXACTLY. It never fails that if a cop is on the side of the road with flashing lights people immediately hit their brakes. That's all that's needed. Even the portable radar units that show your speed vs the speed limit are enough to slow folks down.

[mdb917]

Oh boy...here we go!

First off, if a person is speeding they are breaking a law by definition. How much plainer does it have to be.

Come on folks, if you want a free for all - which is what the roads have almost become then by all means continue to DISOBEY the laws. Witness the stop sign next to my home which btw is in a very residential area (read that lots of kids running around). I would guess that only 5&#37; even slow down for the Stop sign to below 10MPH. I don't think I've seen someone actually come to a full stop (again, that is the real law..not what people imagine it is) in months. It's ok though because it's a stupid law, right? That's what some think. It might be a stupid stop sign but after a 5 year kid gets run over or your car gets broad sided by someone blitzing it then it's too late.

Why is it that we think we are entitled to speed, run red lights, blitz past stop signs, pass on double yellow (had someone do that yesterday, went around 4 cars on a double yellow), etc.? If you want the laws changed then work thru the system to get the laws changed. To say that other people do it or it isn't dangerous to speed does not "justify" speeding. There is no justification for it (ok, if your wife is having a baby..then maybe - but you'd probably be better off calling an ambulance).

As to the revenue argument, that once again is irrevelevant. You are speeding so if you do the crime you pay the time (or fine in this case). If you do not speed then there is zero revenue. The only issue I have with the revenue generation machine as some call it is where does the money go.

For the record, when a municipality intentionally sets the Yellow light faster then they should all be fired and ran out of office. But, even when we all see that certain sectors of society behave that way still does not justify us acting like that.

We have had cameras in Cedar Rapids for a year or so now. The process is such that a Police Officer reviews every single photo and makes the decision whether a ticket is issued or not. There goes the argument that a human being is not looking at the pictures and applying any judgement. The camera is used as a tool and not as a decider, the officer provides that function. No different than when they use cameras to catch bank robbers, perverts in Wal-Mart, etc. The camera does not arrest anyone nor does it send out a ticket. There is a Police Officer that does and the ticket will arrive with their signature on it. He/she will be there in court if you so choose to take it to appeal or take it to court. The picture (video) will be presented as EVIDENCE which is what is, nothing more, nothing less. IF you actually feel as though you were not speeding or that the camera malfunctioned then there is an appeal process and that process goes thru a civilian and not an officer, at least here.

BTW: For those that think the license plate covers or reflective sprays work, watch the Myth Busters episode. They ran a race car thru a speed camera at over 250MPH with various tinted covers, sprayed with different products, combinations of both and the camera got the license plate number every time.

Ok, let the flame wars begin.

Bill (OP): As an FYI, they mount the speed cameras in Cedar Rapids on the backside of the highway signs so a radar detector does not pick them up until AFTER you go under the camera. They might do that in Des Moines also.

CEEDOG, vet - I am in total agreement about the liberties we have already given up. I am totally opposed to cameras filming my entire life whether that be at the mall, the highway or anywhere for that matter. We as a culture have given up so much liberty and so much privacy for the sake of any number of reasons that it boggles my mind. I am however FOR people obeying the laws and not making up excuses that have no relevance.

[LegacyGT]

MLB I appreciate you taking the time to post, though I feel very differently about the subject, as you already noticed.

Grouping speeding in with dangerous driving habits (rolling stops, passing on solid lines etc) is apples and oranges to me.

Speeding is rarely a contributing factor to accidents, distracted driving is far more dangerous IMO.

The autobahn has one of the best road safety records around, however, the culture does not tolerate distracted or entitled drivers that refuse to yield to faster moving cars.

There is always a conflict of interest with the revenue generated when the money goes back into the coffers of the individuals doing the enforcement.

Also in the link that BorisC posted, there are a number of studies that prove that the cameras do nothing to change the driving habits, so in reality studies have proven that the only thing that is accomplished is revenue generation.

Speed Camera Studies