Here it comes...

[Railroad]

Funny thing is, I just have to watch the lights to avoid a problem, looking at the lights ahead (in addition to the brake lights of whoever's in front of me) to avoid a problem. Not to say I never make mistakes, but I've stayed safe for many years (actually I've never had wreck at an intersection that I caused by myself).

 

[BadGirl]

I'm more pissed off at the fact that I sat through every single red light from First Colony all the way down to the Gate 3 intersection yesterday. Every single one of 'em.

 

[RoseRed]

I'm more pissed off at the fact that I sat through every single red light from First Colony all the way down to the Gate 3 intersection yesterday. Every single one of 'em.

You weren't driving fast enough.

 

[glhs837]

I will be back later, for now, search titles only, "cameras", big thing with the red light cams is that they have no net effect on safety, speed cams, most common vendor is optotraffic, and those guys are running a rigged game.

No points allowed, by MD law, for the same reason fines are so low. Like any parasite, they try to minimize the bite, so they can drain off more blood before you notice.

 

[glhs837]

We were warned about this a month or 2 ago by a fellow forumite -
SoMdNews.com: Red-light cameras considered along Route 235

But Cameron said he’s pursuing the cameras to reduce accidents
 and not to make money through traffic tickets. 
“It can’t be about money. I’m interested in public safety,” he said.

That is . Every red light camera installed is about the money! In my travels this morning, I did an informal survey. It seems that most of the lights along the 235 LP to California stretch only have a 3 second yellow light. Hollywood to Charlotte Hall lights have a 5 second yellow light. Leonardtown, Callaway, GM lights all seem to have about 5 seconds as well. I believe someone talked about this a while back. If this is the case, I believe SHA first needs to get all yellow lights timed the same at 5 seconds. Come back to us in a year and then let us know what the accident rate is. At 3 seconds and 45 miles per hour, you are either being rear-ended from jamming the brakes to stop, or your picture is going to be taken for running a red light and you will be charged $75.

Can some others out there do some informal counts on yellow lights for us?? one one thousand, two one thousand......

So what if it's about making money?

If you're not speeding or running red lights, it's a non-issue to you, right?

Just to hit these two off the top.

1. All the signal lights north/south between Rt 4 and Gate 2 have a five second yellow, according to the SHA man in charge of such things, who I did talk to personally. And the ones I have informally timed seemed to meet this. I really dont think that jiggering the yellow is a big threat in this case.

A bigger threat is the fact that in at least 3 studies NOT funded by the camera industry, the results have shown that these things at best have no net effect, the increased rear end collisions they cause offset in monetary and injury effects the decreased T-bones. I know, how can you price time spent in a coma, and that is a factor. But dont forget the folks with injuries from being rear ended. Less severe, generally speaking, but far more of them. And we can say that if that happens, folks were folloing too close, and you would be right. But that doesnt change the facts.

2. BG, you should care, if you get caught in one of those rear end collisions. And even if you dont, you should care that your local government, intentionally or not, has decided that revenue is more important than safety.


Studies and Reports about Red Light Cameras

Heres the data, see for yourself. Those articles all link to the studies themselves, I think, look them over.

 

[smibarines]

We were warned about this a month or 2 ago by a fellow forumite -
SoMdNews.com: Red-light cameras considered along Route 235

But Cameron said he’s pursuing the cameras to reduce accidents
 and not to make money through traffic tickets. 
“It can’t be about money. I’m interested in public safety,” he said.

That is . Every red light camera installed is about the money! In my travels this morning, I did an informal survey. It seems that most of the lights along the 235 LP to California stretch only have a 3 second yellow light. Hollywood to Charlotte Hall lights have a 5 second yellow light. Leonardtown, Callaway, GM lights all seem to have about 5 seconds as well. I believe someone talked about this a while back. If this is the case, I believe SHA first needs to get all yellow lights timed the same at 5 seconds. Come back to us in a year and then let us know what the accident rate is. At 3 seconds and 45 miles per hour, you are either being rear-ended from jamming the brakes to stop, or your picture is going to be taken for running a red light and you will be charged $75.

Can some others out there do some informal counts on yellow lights for us?? one one thousand, two one thousand......

Town Creek and 235 was a very long 5 m-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i's.

 

[nutz]

the increased rear end collisions they cause offset in monetary and injury effects the decreased T-bones. I know, how can you price time spent in a coma, and that is a factor. But dont forget the folks with injuries from being rear ended. Less severe, generally speaking, but far more of them. And we can say that if that happens, folks were folloing too close, and you would be right. But that doesnt change the facts.

2. BG, you should care, if you get caught in one of those rear end collisions. And even if you dont, you should care that your local government, intentionally or not, has decided that revenue is more important than safety.

When it comes to the money end, there are 3 evils at play
1) politicians wanting something to make more money to spend
2) Optotraffic (camera co.) wants to increase sales
3) insurance industry wants to increase rates in md. citing increase in collisions

Everybody gets a cut, revenue and profits go up and no new "taxes" have been created.

 

[BOP]

Gaming the system - shorter then normal yellows and speed limits that are to low. It's been documented that not only is this done, but governments sign contracts that lock them in to setting times / speed limits that the camera operators want.

From beginning to end it's about money, not safety. Safety is putting a patrol car there and writing a few tickets if it's that much of a problem. I see dozens of cars come off Chancellor Run Rd - heading north on 235 - that are turning on the Rt 235 green. Every light, every night but not one car there with even the threat of ticket - oh and no accidents to speak of.
Corporations are in it for the profit and they sell the local governent on how much money they'll make as well. The government then turns around and tells the citizens it's all about safety - B fning S.

We'll see how many people get tagged running a red light that was turning yellow when they hit the line. Bang Bang Snap Kaching

Don't forget the morons who park into the intersections around here. That, too, is a redlight camera violation. You stop across that wide white line and you ARE getting a ticket. Remember that uproar up north a year or so ago?

 

[glhs837]

Not always, the system has to be set to do that, and most don't. Some do, but it's only a few systems here in MD that do

 

[Vince]

I'm more pissed off at the fact that I sat through every single red light from First Colony all the way down to the Gate 3 intersection yesterday. Every single one of 'em.

You weren't driving fast enough.

Yeah BG, try to follow Rose up 235.

 

[sparkyaclown]

They definitely need to address the yellow light timing if they are going to do this . Just this morning I ran a light because it would have been unsafe for me to stop especially on the wet roads. The yellow is on a 3 second timer and had I tried to stop when it turned yellow I would've probably ended up in the intersection anyhow.

 

[glhs837]

Which light was this, with direction of travel please? Very few roads around here have a speed limit slow enough to justify a three second yellow, but many folks dont accurately estimate seconds very well.

 

[EmptyTimCup]

thus slamming on their brakes in order to stop even when it isn't safe to do

that is exactly what happens at intersections with 'Red Light' cameras - Accidents go UP

 

[smilin]

I was corrected on a thread earlier saying that people were running red lights as they didn't get across the opposite side of the intersection before the light turned red.
The post pointed out that you aren't running the red light unless it is a full blown red when you enter the intersection.
I would guess this applies to cameras also?
According to this: If you are blocking an intersection or in the intersection when the light turns red, then the camera shouldn't take your picture.

 

[EmptyTimCup]

Are there any points?

no just fines ....

... assigned to the vehicle / owner


if you are not driving at the time, you are expected to rat out who was or pay the fine yourself

the camera companies usually get 15 - 25 bucks for each ticket as there cut

 

[glhs837]

And that's another aspect to this. The MD law allowing automated enforcement specifically prohibits contracts that pay the vendor based on the amount of citations given. but every place that puts these in, it's ignored, and the contracts pay per citation.

Here's a good one. A Prince Georges county judge has said you cannot challenge the cameras accuracy. Only possible defense is to give up someone else as the driver. Says its a given fact that the speed cameras are accurate, thats the end of it.

Maryland Speed Cameras

Whats funny is that this same system has been booted out of Cheverly by town officials fed up with inaccurate readings (57mph bicycles, 76mph invisible vehicles), falsified calibration logs, etc.

So, this system the PG county judge says is infallible obviously isn't, and has been proven so in court in at least two other places. But the judges only allow evidence from one source, the company that makes the money.