Red Light Protests
- Protesters rallied Sunday on Chicago's North Side against red light cameras that have resulted in more tickets for motorists.
The protesters waved signed and handed out flyers to drivers. They are urging passage of a Senate bill that bans automatic ticketing in Illinois.
The demonstrators claim officials installed the cameras not for safety, but to raise revenue, and they say, in 2008, Chicago took in $45 million in fines from camera-generated tickets.
Numerous studies around the country seem to show a trend that intersections covered by a camera have a measurable increase in rear-end collisions as people "panic stop" to avoid getting a picture taken.
Now, if someone just points out to these protesters that when red-light cameras are challenged in court, municipalities lose more often than they win on the Constitutional front.
Now, if someone just points out to these protesters that when red-light cameras are challenged in court, municipalities lose more often than they win on the Constitutional front.
Labels: general
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
22 Comments:
Has FOP checked out that they gave thumbs up to "Skip" Saviano (Republican State Rep.)? FOP please check to see if he is the guy that introduced the legislation for red light cameras in Springfield. Check out how much campaign money he receives from the red light camera company. FOP please start checking this guy out.
Tough shit for them, they wouldn't reaer-end panic stop if they weren't flying down the street, I might be in the minority but I like the cameras, peoples driving behavior cetainly is changed when they know a camera is watching..
I'm with you 01:27. I don't see what the big deal is. There are signs posted BEFORE you get to the intersection warning you about the cameras and when the camera DOES take your picture it clearly shows that you broke the plane AFTER the light turned red. I think these people that are beefin just don't want to slow down and are mad that they are either getting caught or have to obey the law now. I say this as a 30 year veteran of the Police Department who hates Daley, Weis, Masters and all that they have done to ruin a once great Police Department.
The cameras are a shitty idea. I see cars that come to a screeching halt one or even two whole car lengths over the white line.
I watched one camera get catch a car that was two thirds through a right hand turn, and the flash kept going off, distracting other cars.
I now leave at least two car lengths when coming to a stale green, it's become dangerous as hell out there.
Simple, put the signs in front of the cameras. Let them sit there for a few hours or days until they are discovered. Let the company that profits from them go to hell with Shorty holding the door.
If I drive by a traffic camera nd see a sign posted on a tall poll I won't call it in. Or how about protest stickers on the glass plates of the boxes. That would be more effective than telling any politician who gets a kickback from that company.
"The demonstrators claim officials installed the cameras not for safety, but to raise revenue, and they say, in 2008, Chicago took in $45 million in fines from camera-generated tickets."
(((((((((((((((((((((((( * ))))))))))))))))))))))))
If, in fact, the City realized $45 million in revenue a year from these cameras, they are going nowhere anytime soon. In fact, watch for MORE to be installed or moved from non-productive intersections to newer locations.
Besides, if they were REALLY there for safety, they would issue warning tickets for first time violators.
"Now, if someone just points out to these protesters that when red-light cameras are challenged in court, municipalities lose more often than they win on the Constitutional front."
But not at Daley's condo Board, 99% conviction rate
I am not over joyed with red light cameras but it seems like a better way than having cops do it. Costs a lot less and frees up cops to go after violent criminals instead of wasting their time handing out traffic tickets.
I suspect much of the real problem with the red light cameras is that often cities change the yellow light to be very short to get more tickets. Maybe the state should mandate a minimum yellow time at an intersection with cameras.
Anonymous said...
Has FOP checked out that they gave thumbs up to "Skip" Saviano (Republican State Rep.)? FOP please check to see if he is the guy that introduced the legislation for red light cameras in Springfield. Check out how much campaign money he receives from the red light camera company. FOP please start checking this guy out.
2/15/2010 12:39:00 AM
FOP endorses some who present the "manilla envelope " obviously!
Why are there no red-light cameras
at: Roosevelt/Homan
Roosevelt/Pulaski
Roosevelt/Independence (both
directions)
Homan/Harrison (each side of
expressway)
Anonymous said...
Tough shit for them, they wouldn't reaer-end panic stop if they weren't flying down the street, I might be in the minority but I like the cameras, peoples driving behavior cetainly is changed when they know a camera is watching..
2/15/2010 01:27:00 AM
You are advocating the city's profits at the expense of driver safety.
It's a known fact that close to 80% of red-light running can be eliminated with a longer yellow-light phase. This phase should take into account ambient traffic speed (85th percentile, not the bullshit underposted speed limit), intersection width, and signal visibility.
Part of the remaining 20% is caused by ambiguous signaling, signal clutter, poor signal location/visibility. The remaining is because people are assholes and don't have respect for the law.
The solution is to re-design intersections and/or signal duration to meet better safety standards and enable common sense behavior. Why is it that all red lights have a yellow-light duration of 3.0s regardless of ambient speed or intersection width? Because that is the MUTCD Federal MINIMUM yellow light phase. And yet if you go to the suburbs, Park Ridge for instance - NW Hwy and Washington Street (a T intersection, where Washington is a side-street and the posted s/l is 25mph) the duration was measured at about 4.5s. Why is this? Why the discrepancy?
I agree that some people have no respect for the law, and cameras help to make them a little more nervous about blowing it. However I'd rather see cops out there doing the enforcing for several reasons:
1. We need more cops on the streets - in traffic, and patrolling in general.
2. A police officer has the wonderful power of discretion - the ability to read the situation and the citizen and determine if a violation should be issued. We all make mistakes, right?
3. A police officer isn't given an incentive to catch motorists. He does his job. He's not getting a cut of the fines the city garners.
Remember finally that correlation does not equal causation. There are many factors at play here, and the stats are likely distorted. How many of these tickets are issued because someone made a right on red after going .02MPH instead of stopping completely, when the intersection was totally clear and the turn was able to be made safely? Smoke and mirrors, folks.
The camera's are crap, they do cause accidents and are nothing but a money grab. The yellow lights have been shortened and you can't get from one light to the next and make it through without the yellow going on just before you make it to the intersection as if it were timed to catch you (because it was). Plus the camera's are painted black so you can't see them and they are hidden behind signs. They should be painted blaze orange so you can see them and not hidden by anything. We did just fine before the camera's and we'll do just fine when they are declared unconstitutional and banned.
i got tinted plates on my car, and i also slip some paper inside the tinted plate so u can not see my plates. i got pulled over by some burb cops and they asked me way i have my plates covered. i told them that i dont want to get any mail ticket when turn right on a red light at 3am coming home from working in the geto. they know who i am, they will not write me a ticket or any other po. so fuck u red light camers. u can not get me, ha ha.
Keep the cameras. People drive like lunatics and we don't have the manpower to ticket them anymore.
Is it a money maker? Sure is, that's another plus. Who cares if someone gets clipped by "The Man"? The idiot that just may broadside you one day, that's who. Put them on every corner. Just make sure we know where the money is going.
Totally agree with 1:27am.....pay attention to DRIVING and you will not have to "panic stop". I say put up more cameras. Some people drive like real idiots.
court? Who goes to court on these things? If you challenge them its in front of an administrative officer and they NEVER get tossed! The administrative officer, much like the City of Chicago in almost any instance, does not feel obliged to follow that annoying thing called the constitution... nah, they just make up rules as they go, and no one ever challenges them on anything! In fact, I could see the state making thee cameras illegal, and shortshanks ignoring the new law and leaving them up, conitnue to fuck the citizens of shitcago, and no one ever says boo! Fuck this place
They really need some of these down Laramie between Montrose and Fullerton. I'm guessing 3/4 of the cars that blow red lights are driven by people who 1)don't have insurance, 2)don't have a license and 3)shouldn't even be in this damn country.
Why are there no red-light cameras
at: Roosevelt/Homan
Roosevelt/Pulaski
Roosevelt/Independence (both
directions)
Homan/Harrison (each side of
expressway)
_________________________
Same reason why the Department of revenue doesn't go to those areas to write tickets. Because no one will pay, or they will contest every one. However, in more affluent areas, working stiffs don't have the time to do so, so they simply pay the tickets. Look in nice areas, 001, 016, 017, 018, 019, 020, 023, you will find the D.O.R. and the private contractors writing tickets all day and night. I never have seen them on the west side. I cannot speak for the south side though??? Can anybody fill in???
Keep the cameras. People drive like lunatics and we don't have the manpower to ticket them anymore.
Is it a money maker? Sure is, that's another plus. Who cares if someone gets clipped by "The Man"? The idiot that just may broadside you one day, that's who. Put them on every corner. Just make sure we know where the money is going.
2/15/2010 01:33:00 PM
Did you sleep through law classes in the academy? do you know anything about the principals this country was founded on?
When you go to COURT, does the accused have the right to ask YOU questions? Does someone (who we HOPE is impartial, after all, we did ELECT them) listen to the evidence? Does innocent until proven guilty mean anything to you?
The city sets up a kangaroo court, where its employees are the judge and jury; then shows you a video that you surely can't ask any questions of, and finds you guilty; all at once. This is a guilty until you prove yourself innocent system; and you have no problem with this? Maybe you should be the police in some country run as a police state, you'd fit in better.
Look around on the internet, you will find plenty of cases where yellow lights are shortened to generate more revenue, and in fact, if you increase the yellow light hang time, the companies that run these cameras FOR PROFIT, will no longer guarantee you 'x' amount of income.
Why? because they KNOW that if the yellow is longer, less people will actually blow the red.
Look at a red light ticket, it will show you the yellow time as 3.01 seconds. Why? because the federal minimum for a yellow is 3.00 seconds; so they give you 1/100 of a second so you can't challenge that.
Did you sleep through law classes in the academy? do you know anything about the principals this country was founded on?
2/16/2010 09:42:00 PM
Since you like questions, here goes:
Do you believe everything you read on the Internet (Al Gore)?
Have you gotten one of these tickets? (My wife did taking my kid to the E.R. - I still believe they are a good tool)
You ever get a parking ticket? Did you get a trial?
Have you been drinking?
Speaking of tools, are you one?
This has been suggested previously, but one way to mess with these money-makers: toss an egg, mud or some feces at the glass covering. Someone will have to come out & clean it up. Every time. It wouldn't even be CDTP, because on Halloween the city considers eggs to be harmless-the residue can be washed off.
Be smart though. These cameras run 24/7. They don't just shoot video on cars that run the light.
Why are there no red-light cameras
at: Roosevelt/Homan
Roosevelt/Pulaski
Roosevelt/Independence (both
directions)
Homan/Harrison (each side of
expressway)
Cuz the plated will not be registered to the car caught, and even if they are nobody will pay anyway...
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