Red Light Cameras

[Keystone19250]

Kentucky is once again looking at installing Red Light cameras to take pictures of license plates on cars when drivers fail to stop at red lights, my opinion is this is long overdue as I witness on a daily basis drivers running red lights which is a major safety issue.
In regards to where other forum members live do you have red light cameras and are they working to prevent drivers from running red lights and what are the fines if you are ticketed?

 

[SimonRL]

We had them here in Texas but they eventually got run out of town. Too many towns were using them like a revenue generating device. In my city there was virtually no way to appeal a ticket. If you drove into the intersection on a yellow light the camera took two pictures as you entered the intersection and as you exited. If that light went red before you cleared the intersection you got a ticket with zero chance of making your case or overturning it. Running red lights in Texas is a sport and I thought the cameras were a good idea in practice, but of course a good idea was corrupted.

 

[C. Sumpin]

IF it could be proven as an improvement on safety and cost effective; maybe, but usually the real motive is revenue generation.

 

[10mmLife]

Kentucky is once again looking at installing Red Light cameras to take pictures of license plates on cars when drivers fail to stop at red lights, my opinion is this is long overdue as I witness on a daily basis drivers running red lights which is a major safety issue.
In regards to where other forum members live do you have red light cameras and are they working to prevent drivers from running red lights and what are the fines if you are ticketed?

There's Red light cameras in Massachusetts where I used to live and I travel to daily for work. The cameras have been in Massachusetts for at least 10 years now. I personally don't like the idea of cameras on every street pole because it's just another way for big brother to surveil the population. I don't see this being a great deterrent to people that drive like morons as much as it's a cash grab and surveillance excuse for the cities that have them.

I have never received a violation from any cameras myself as I tend to be a responsible driver especially in populated areas.

 

[10mmLife]

We had them here in Texas but they eventually got run out of town. Too many towns were using them like a revenue generating device. In my city there was virtually no way to appeal a ticket. If you drove into the intersection on a yellow light the camera took two pictures as you entered the intersection and as you exited. If that light went red before you cleared the intersection you got a ticket with zero chance of making your case or overturning it. Running red lights in Texas is a sport and I thought the cameras were a good idea in practice, but of course a good idea was corrupted.

I've heard of people getting caught in traffic at an intersection and the lights turn red now they have a fine and moving violation on their driver's record.

 

[cico7]

They were kicked out of Columbus because the owner paid bribes to council members to get them installed.

They can not (could not) enforce collection of fines. And no points were assigned and do not (did not) show up in your motor vehicle report.

 

[Keystone19250]

I've heard of people getting caught in traffic at an intersection and the lights turn red now they have a fine and moving violation on their driver's record.

Getting caught in the middle of an intersection is the result of
“Blocking the Box” and causes major traffic backups at busy intersections.
I understand what your saying but that is also in many ways caused by running red lights because people are tired of waiting for the next green light.
Just two days ago I had a driver behind me cross a double yellow into oncoming traffic because I stopped for a red light, he ended up stuck in the middle of the intersection because the lane he was going for was backed up. His actions prevented everyone from moving for two more green light cycles.

 

[Bassbob]

They’re illegal in my state.

 

[Keystone19250]

They’re illegal in my state.

From what I’m hearing about in Kentucky is they are not illegal but legislation has never appropriated money to have them installed.
Also from what I heard is if you run a red light and someone gets your plate they can turn you in to the state and you will be sent a ticket.

 

[Recusant]

People should be banned from buying their driver's license from Amazon or Ebay! State gov'ts need to tighten up on driver's ed and make the tests much harder.

 

[Keystone19250]

People should be banned from buying their driver's license from Amazon or Ebay! State gov'ts need to tighten up on driver's ed and make the tests much harder.

What a concept, you would think it would be that easy. Don’t get me wrong I agree.

 

[BobM]

Getting caught in the middle of an intersection is the result of
“Blocking the Box” and causes major traffic backups at busy intersections.
I understand what your saying but that is also in many ways caused by running red lights because people are tired of waiting for the next green light.
Just two days ago I had a driver behind me cross a double yellow into oncoming traffic because I stopped for a red light, he ended up stuck in the middle of the intersection because the lane he was going for was backed up. His actions prevented everyone from moving for two more green light cycles.

It can happen to best of us in heavy traffic ....and the way some lights are timed. Some lights are almost purposely timed to create headaches and increase revenue. If caught in the middle of an intersection when light turns? In many places it's actually illegal to back up to crosswalk line and to proceed forward with caution is advised. Once passing crosswalk line, is generally regarded to continue safely proceed past it in many areas. Is usually considered safer.

Also, just sitting there in an intersection when light changes causes an traffic obstruction and is also illegal in some areas. In some ways like U turns being legal in some areas while not in other ones. Many laws are not uniform because conditions aren't always the same in different areas. To complicate things even further, certain laws can change during certain times of the day. In a land run in many times mostly by lawyers and law degrees, is it any wonder?

 

[Keystone19250]

It can happen to best of us in heavy traffic ....and the way some lights are timed. Some lights are almost purposely timed to create headaches and increase revenue. If caught in the middle of an intersection when light turns? In many places it's actually illegal to back up to crosswalk line and to proceed forward with caution is advised. Once passing crosswalk line, is generally regarded to continue safely proceed past it in many areas. Is usually considered safer.

Also, just sitting there in an intersection when light changes causes an traffic obstruction and is also illegal in some areas. In some ways like U turns being legal in some areas while not in other ones. Many laws are not uniform because conditions aren't always the same in different areas. To complicate things even further, certain laws can change during certain times of the day. In a land run in many times mostly by lawyers and law degrees, is it any wonder?

What your describing is called blocking the box, if you enter an intersection on a green light knowing that you can’t clear the intersection before your light turns red that’s illegal, it’s also common sense because now your blocking cross traffic from moving on when there light turns green.

 

[BobM]

People should be banned from buying their driver's license from Amazon or Ebay! State gov'ts need to tighten up on driver's ed and make the tests much harder.

Hah, funny on Amazon and EBay! Almost seems like it some days! Driving can be very frustrating at times. Increasing Drivers ed requirement? Is a good idea in some places. Many places abandoned the practice years ago for one reason or another and the effects are being felt now?

Some sounds good and logical to many people and maybe on paper, but there's so many different and variable rules and laws even some officers don't know them all. And, then the laws can and do change from place to place, city to city, state to state and from time to time as well.

Right turn on red was and is one of them that can ease congestion and also create confusion depending on how it's implemented and where or when. Stability and uniformity is likely lacking in many scenarios because of different interpretations of same rules or laws is best guess? Likely poor leadership in some places and understanding may be another reason?

 

[Keystone19250]

Hah, funny on Amazon and EBay! Almost seems like it some days! Driving can be very frustrating at times. Increasing Drivers ed requirement? Is a good idea in some places. Many places abandoned the practice years ago for one reason or another and the effects are being felt now?

Some sounds good and logical to many people and maybe on paper, but there's so many different and variable rules and laws even some officers don't know them all. And, then the laws can and do change from place to place, city to city, state to state and from time to time as well.

Right turn on red was and is one of them that can ease congestion and also create confusion depending on how it's implemented and where or when. Stability and uniformity is likely lacking in many scenarios because of different interpretations of same rules or laws is best guess? Likely poor leadership in some places and understanding may be another reason?

Right turn on red (after stop) was a federal thing to yes ease congestion but more importantly to save gasoline and the C02 created by automobiles idling in traffic for no reason, most states embraced the idea while others such as Connecticut who didn’t and put up no turn on red signs on virtually every intersection in the state, the state was eventually sued and lost and had to remove 95% of the no turn on red signs.
The bigger issue now is people don’t STOP before turning red.

 

[Old_Me]

Kentucky is once again looking at installing Red Light cameras to take pictures of license plates on cars when drivers fail to stop at red lights, my opinion is this is long overdue as I witness on a daily basis drivers running red lights which is a major safety issue.
In regards to where other forum members live do you have red light cameras and are they working to prevent drivers from running red lights and what are the fines if you are ticketed?

i approve of them, as well as neighborhood camers too.

the red light cameras here, not only take your picture, but a short video as well, and frankly, that saved my hide at least 2 times.

what happened was, i went past the STOP line, and the camera took my picture.

but the video showed that i still stopped. so no ticket

one time, i went thru the light as it turned red, and the video caught me not stopping. kinda hard to dispute that.

the fines here are $85.00 and it is a civil offense, meaning no points on our licenses.

but i still am in approval of those neighborhood cameras, to help in the arrest of individuals doing some crap, like breaking windows, assaulting, etc, etc.

i firmly believe that once you leave YOUR property, you are in "public view" and not subjected to privacy laws.

 

[Keystone19250]

i approve of them, as well as neighborhood camers too.

the red light cameras here, not only take your picture, but a short video as well, and frankly, that saved my hide at least 2 times.

what happened was, i went past the STOP line, and the camera took my picture.

but the video showed that i still stopped. so no ticket

one time, i went thru the light as it turned red, and the video caught me not stopping. kinda hard to dispute that.

the fines here are $85.00 and it is a civil offense, meaning no points on our licenses.

but i still am in approval of those neighborhood cameras, to help in the arrest of individuals doing some crap, like breaking windows, assaulting, etc, etc.

i firmly believe that once you leave YOUR property, you are in "public view" and not subjected to privacy laws.

Exactly. Cameras can be assumed as being intrusive but they are also invaluable for law enforcement.
And you are correct, once you walk out of your house your privacy of having your picture taken or video taken of what your doing ends.

 

[10mmLife]

Getting caught in the middle of an intersection is the result of
“Blocking the Box” and causes major traffic backups at busy intersections.
I understand what your saying but that is also in many ways caused by running red lights because people are tired of waiting for the next green light.
Just two days ago I had a driver behind me cross a double yellow into oncoming traffic because I stopped for a red light, he ended up stuck in the middle of the intersection because the lane he was going for was backed up. His actions prevented everyone from moving for two more green light cycles.

I don't think it's always a case of someone blocking the box especially in heavily congested areas where traffic can just stop suddenly then gets caught ahead of the stop line. It's pretty common around the Boston area where even a truck backing out of a space or a bus pulling half way over can get you stuck at a light that you would normally had enough time to get through.

 

[Keystone19250]

I don't think it's always a case of someone blocking the box especially in heavily congested areas where traffic can just stop suddenly then gets caught ahead of the stop line. It's pretty common around the Boston area where even a truck backing out of a space or a bus pulling half way over can get you stuck at a light that you would normally had enough time to get through.

Agreed.

 

[BobM]

What your describing is called blocking the box, if you enter an intersection on a green light knowing that you can’t clear the intersection before your light turns red that’s illegal, it’s also common sense because now your blocking cross traffic from moving on when there light turns green.

Could be, never heard the term before. Most places have lived, been or visited, using the green light gives a person the right of way unless in an emergency situation. If caught out past that in intersection? Is also partially why mentioned the blocking intersection and to proceed with caution statement earlier.

Some traffic lights are timed quick and others are timed slower, it is and can be programmed and timed differently from day to day and from time to time unless older traffic lights and that could help create the situation you mention as well. It may help to talk with city or town counsel about it, they may be able to help point your concerns to another agency responsible for traffic control?

Other considerations? Not everyone travels the same roads every day or are from out of state or the area as well. Heavy tourism invites and encourages many things besides dollars so some people may not be familiar with an area. Drivers training and requirements can vary from place to place too. From some experience, what's right in one area isn't always right in another. For example: Some of NJ's going right to make left turns could be "enlightening" to some out of staters? Circular Round a Bouts can be another "delightful" experience for those not encountering them before? Even just someone used to country driving can have headaches driving in some cities in the same state.