Red Light Cameras... CHEATING TO ISSUE MORE TICKETS

[IOWA]

Stories about the outrage over red light cameras have started to go mainstream. And given that some suspect the cameras are rigged in favor of revenue over safety, it's to be expected that some of the caught drivers would start to fight back. Reader Josh submitted this story about a math tutor, Mike Mogil, who took it upon himself to challenge the red light ticket his wife received by claiming that the yellow light was unfairly short (via the Consumerist). Armed with a stopwatch, Mogil timed the yellow lights in his town and found that the yellow light in question only lasted 3.8 seconds, much shorter than the 4.5 seconds that the county guidelines require. With this information, he challenged the ticket, which was then dropped by the courts. That said, this is not the first time that red light cameras have been found to be unfairly trapping motorists. After all, since red light camera programs can be big revenue generators, there is great incentive to cheat a little to bump up the revenue. The result is just another reminder that it could pay to fight if you ever get trapped. That said, if our governments need more revenue, perhaps they should find it through more honest, transparent means rather than under the false guise of public safety.

Yet Another Cheating Red Light Camera | Techdirt

 

[oldun]

Wherever there is a misuse of authority it must be challenged but it pure hypocrisy to suggest that the vast majority of speeding tickets and other violations caught on camera are not thoroughly deserved.

Whether the cameras are there to make money or not why should people guilty of breaking the law get away with it.

If you broke the law stop whinging and pay up.

 

[Caddyman]

It is very easy to beat a red light ticket, more then 80% of them are dropped in court.

And fwiw, the rule of thumb for yellow lights is 1 second per 10 mph

 

[IOWA]

Wherever there is a misuse of authority it must be challenged but it pure hypocrisy to suggest that the vast majority of speeding tickets and other violations caught on camera are not thoroughly deserved.

Whether the cameras are there to make money or not why should people guilty of breaking the law get away with it.

If you broke the law stop whinging and pay up.

Did you even read the article?

 

[Caloy]

I'm more concerned about the safety point of the article then the cheating. If you shorten the time span of the yellow light, you might cause an accident, especially if the people thought it should have been a little longer.

 

[chum1600]

Here in MO they just passed a bill banning red light cameras in the entire state. One of the teachers I work with got a ticket from one and asked the cop in our building what to do with them and he said throw it away. The parts of MO that used them didn't send them to the state to collect them, they were sent to credit collections to be collected.

I am not saying people that broke the law shouldn't pay for what they have done, I am simply stating what they have done in MO about them.

 

[sensesfail99]

Red light cameras are a joke. they installed a bunch of them through Washington state and I think its said that 85% of them are now shut off. Theyre probably going to have to use most of the money the cameras generated for ticketing just to remove all of them.... can we say big FAIL for the goverment!!!!

 

[sensesfail99]

Mistakes on Tacoma traffic camera ticket caught by driver | KING5.com | Seattle News and Video

this will just add to this post!

 

[oldun]

Did you even read the article?

Yes I did but I'm sick to death hearing drivers who spend all their time breaking the speed limits whinging about the unfairness of it all.

I f you're happy to recklessly break the law stop whinging when you get caught.

The real problem is the speeder not the law enforcer.

 

[NightHawk877]

This is why I ride my bike more than I drive.

 

[NYCHitman1]

I thought IOWA was back. Weaksauce.

 

[Frisco]

Weaksauce.

.. lol ^

 

[Stuntman]

I'm from Vancouver, B.C. Reading the OP about 4.5 seconds for an amber light seems unusually long compared to the amber lights here. They seem more like 2 seconds to me. I'm going to have to check it out the next time I see an amber light and have the opportunity to time it.

Red light cameras in my province seemed to have good public support. I don't hear much opposition complaining about it being a tax grab, like there was for speed cameras. They got rid of speed cameras a decade ago as they were very unpopular. There is no such movement against red light cameras.

 

[angldvl81]

I f you're happy to recklessly break the law stop whinging when you get caught.

Or just don't break the law. People speed by me everyday on my way to work and they get there maybe 15 seconds before me. Is it really all that important???

 

[IOWA]

I thought IOWA was back. Weaksauce.

I am.

 

[Frisco]

Welcome back.

 

[IOWA]

Welcome back.

Ty.

 

[RiverOfIce]

They are going to milk money out of you, one way or the other. If they do not do it by traffic cameras, they will do it by other means. For example, a lot of states now require you to use a hand free device while driving, but in the same state, it is illegal to wear a head covering or device that is placed in the ear.

You get pulled over, they will claim you where listening to music and fine you.

The bottom line is this. The county, city, or state is going to get there money.

 

[IOWA]

They are going to milk money out of you, one way or the other. If they do not do it by traffic cameras, they will do it by other means. For example, a lot of states now require you to use a hand free device while driving, but in the same state, it is illegal to wear a head covering or device that is placed in the ear.

You get pulled over, they will claim you where listening to music and fine you.

The bottom line is this. The county, city, or state is going to get there money.

Truth.they'll get us one way put another. I'd rather not have it nee automated though.

 

[NYCHitman1]

I am.

That was pre-ban lift lol

 

[IOWA]

That was pre-ban lift lol

I know I just thought it would be funny ha

 

[mikedt]

AFAICT in most of mainland China there are no amber lights, just red and green, so no argument about length of amber light time. Although in many places a red light appears as a recommendation to stop than meaning you MUST stop, many choose to ignore them.

Some places to have red light cameras now, so if one is caught jumping the lights, one is probably facing a driving license endorsement and 10 years in a forced labour re-education camp.

Hong Kong is different, here traffic lights are very much the same as the UK.

 

[Member138406]

These things cause more danger then anything because people start randomly slamming on the breaks when they are coming up on them or go 10 below thru them...

 

[MrHawley]

They installed traffic light cameras "for safety" in Washington DC and discovered 2 things.

1) Instances of "rear end collisions" went up almost 10% (from people slamming on the brakes.

2) More than half of the gridlock incidents were created by Metro-Buses (lot's of photos of a bus sitting in the middle of the intersection)

3) LOTS of photos of various higher ranked government officials running the red-lights, especially congressional aids.

Somehow I don't think this is what they thought they were going to get for results.

 

[Frisco]

3) LOTS of photos of various higher ranked government officials running the red-lights, especially congressional aids.

Somehow I don't think this is what they thought they were going to get for results.

They couldn't predict that?