Photo Radar

[raz-0]

Actually a lot of cities are shutting off their red light cameras. Mainly because they have issues keeping them profitable while they make driving more dangerous.

Most people are not intending to run red lights. Knowing they are out there causes a lot of drivers to become more vigilant. This removes a lot of revenue, but it also casues people who SHOULD have gone trhoguh the yellow to slam on the brakes. This results in a lot more fender benders and the attending work by various emergency services personell. . Then you have the cities that keep on turning down the yellow light duration. This tends to cause even more accidents. It also usually gets them sued, and more often than not the municipality loses due to state regulation son how intersections have to be configured. Then of course that leaves all previous uncontested citations in doubt, and they have to make good on the ones that get fought. Except that 65% of the revenue went poof the second they cashed the check, and isn't in the coffers to cover the money owed.

Whoops.

[Jim Norman]

I think that Red-Light and Radar Cams are right up there withthe evil of Ez-Pass.

There are several ramps on teh GSP that regularly have no one in attendence. There is the Exact Change Lane and Ez-Pass. If I am driving my RV with car in tow, there are is a list of tolls, noe cover my rig exactly. Dual wheels and a four-wheel down trailer (my car)

I don't like Tolls in the first place, just charge me a higher registratoin fee and save the millions we spend on the collection and maintenence of the toll system. And don't even start to calculate the cost of the traffic jams on commerce and the environment!

Jim

[Ted Murphy]

, but it also casues people who SHOULD have gone trhoguh the yellow to slam on the brakes. This results in a lot more fender benders and the attending work by various emergency services personell. .

I witnessed such an accident a few months ago at a red light camera equipped intersection.

[ski_dog]

Whatever it takes, I sure hope that they get rid of them!

[rwmagnus]

I got nailed by a stationary photo van parked inbetween two bushes in Scottsdale one evening. When I got back to my hotel I noticed the rental car was brand new and didn't have any plates on it. I had a good laugh in the end. Guess they decided not to run photo recognization software to find me.

Courious how this one turns out for Jeeper. It's not often you catch a break.

[Carlos]

I got nailed by a stationary photo van parked inbetween two bushes in Scottsdale one evening. When I got back to my hotel I noticed the rental car was brand new and didn't have any plates on it. I had a good laugh in the end. Guess they decided not to run photo recognization software to find me.

Courious how this one turns out for Jeeper. It's not often you catch a break.

When visiting California, I often saw cars with no license plate on them - usually just an advertisement for some dealership. I am talking NO number at all - not even a temporary. I've only seen it in California. I know that around here (D.C. area) you wouldn't get 2 blocks without getting pulled over & your car impounded if you had no plate on the back.

[rwmagnus]

I was actually in Phoenix and it was a Budget rental. Never noticed until I was walking away from the car back at the hotel and took a glance back at the car. No rear plates so I had to check out the front and got a good laugh friguring I caught a break.

Lots of strange things go on in CA, no plates are the least of our worries here.

[KommBat]

I also hate this radar-vans. The use them here not at dangerus roads, like infront of a kindergarden, but were you can make big bucks.

In Berlin we had in 2006 over 3.200.000 citations making about 49.000.000 Euro wich are planse for even before they were earnd.

Its like a money printing maschine.

[CSEMARTIN]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there something you can spray on your license plate to make them illegible to these cameras, and yet, looks untampered with to the naked eye?

[KGentry]

I am just waiting for the day we finally show Governments who is really in charge and replace people who waste our money like this. It is really about time we start standing up and slap them in the face! Ever try to get a polite person at the DMV?

[Dave Gundry]

Problem solved:

Best $400 you'll ever spend

On a similar note to the OP - I caught a bogus parking ticket on Thursday for a 2 hour violation. Ticket was written at 3:20 at my work. Can't wait to see what they say when I hand them a work order from the Tech Services dept at the university (more than a few blocks away) showing I was there getting my computer fixed from 2:00 to 3:00

[Carlos]

I also hate this radar-vans. The use them here not at dangerus roads, like infront of a kindergarden, but were you can make big bucks.

In Berlin we had in 2006 over 3.200.000 citations making about 49.000.000 Euro wich are planse for even before they were earnd.

Its like a money printing maschine.

My wife (aka the Teutonic Princess) is from Germany. During a visit to her home, I was shocked to see the number of cameras in use there.

Germany goes a step further: every overhead road sign is made with a series of dark glass windows. The cameras can be moved from sign to sign - but the driver never knows which signs have the cameras in them. Really effective (and devious).

[pjb45]

Sorry for your hassle with the courts.

I have been nailed twice by photo radar. Can not say I was happy about it. But gladly paid the fine. In our city, running red lights and road racing is a big problem. It has cut down the accident rate down at some of our more dangerous intersections by 75%. I know people bi@#%@ch about the cost and it is a major revenue generator but the results in reduce accidents and speeding show that it really works.

I just wish they would grace up 15mph on the speeding ticket.

[Ted Murphy]

Problem solved:

Best $400 you'll ever spend

What is it?

[Carlos]

Sorry for your hassle with the courts.

I have been nailed twice by photo radar. Can not say I was happy about it. But gladly paid the fine. In our city, running red lights and road racing is a big problem. It has cut down the accident rate down at some of our more dangerous intersections by 75%. I know people bi@#%@ch about the cost and it is a major revenue generator but the results in reduce accidents and speeding show that it really works.

I just wish they would grace up 15mph on the speeding ticket.

I understand your concern about safety.

Question: by how much did the red-light-camera corporation increase the length of the yellow light when they took over control of your traffic lights?

Are you sure that the cameras cut down the accident rate? Or rather, maybe the cameras did not have anything to do with it at all - but instead, making the yellow light stay on twice as long caused the rate to go down? Just curious.

[scirocco38s]

Sorry for your hassle with the courts.

I have been nailed twice by photo radar. Can not say I was happy about it. But gladly paid the fine. In our city, running red lights and road racing is a big problem. It has cut down the accident rate down at some of our more dangerous intersections by 75%. I know people bi@#%@ch about the cost and it is a major revenue generator but the results in reduce accidents and speeding show that it really works.

I just wish they would grace up 15mph on the speeding ticket.

I beleive you are misinformed. The accident rate has increased at every place they have 1 in our city. They are there for money generation only. You want to get reckless drivers off the road that is fine but you do it by having eyes and patrolmen catching them in the act. People who drive 15 over on the interstates and large highways arent neccessarily bad, just in a hurry. I see lots of drivers driving 20 or more above when they are in very light traffic only to slow to 5 over to ge thru the congestion and then speed up again. Those who drive that way I have no problem with. Photo radar is bad as well as photo red lights. When you see a multicar pile up because a driver panic stops to keep from getting a stoplight violation, and ends up crashing 4 other cars 2 of which were in the lane next to it, is when you realize that it is not there for traffic safety.

[Dave Gundry]

What is it?

Radar detector. I forgot they're not legal in some states, so check your local laws.

[Jeeper]

Problem solved:

Best $400 you'll ever spend

On a similar note to the OP - I caught a bogus parking ticket on Thursday for a 2 hour violation. Ticket was written at 3:20 at my work. Can't wait to see what they say when I hand them a work order from the Tech Services dept at the university (more than a few blocks away) showing I was there getting my computer fixed from 2:00 to 3:00

I have a Valentine 1 in my car which is even funnier that the girl I let drive didnt see the radar.

[warpspeed]

So I lend my car to a friend of mine and she gets a ticket in it from one of those photo radar vans. The ticket goes to my wife because my friend is female and my wife is on the title of my car. No big deal right, I just send in a color copy of her driver's license and they should dismiss it. Wrong, they set a hearing she has to go to. So I figure I will just call down to the court and try to straighten it out. They said they believe it is her and are bring a tech to prove it. First off, my wife has red/strawberry blonde hair and my friend is a brunette. Second, my friend is 10 years older than my wife. They court person says she has to go to the hearing.

This pisses me off so now it is time for me to be the jerky lawyer I have fun being. I am filing my appearance for my wife Monday including an interesting claim for attorney's fees against the state. Statutorily it is a valid claim assuming I can prove bad faith. I know that they just want her to rat out my friend so they can give her the ticket but that is not going to happen. What a waste of tax dollars making people go to court when they know they did not do it. This ought t be a fun hearing. I hate big brother trying to push people around just because they usually can get away with it.

I know some of you might think the attorneys fees claim is BS but the State only learns through their wallet.

So, how did the hearing go ?

[JKSNIPER]

Dont waste your money on that radar detector.

Most jurisdictions are switching over to laser and also by the time your detector tells you it detects something you're already "painted".

If your that concerned about tickets then drive slower.

JK

[Jeeper]

So I lend my car to a friend of mine and she gets a ticket in it from one of those photo radar vans. The ticket goes to my wife because my friend is female and my wife is on the title of my car. No big deal right, I just send in a color copy of her driver's license and they should dismiss it. Wrong, they set a hearing she has to go to. So I figure I will just call down to the court and try to straighten it out. They said they believe it is her and are bring a tech to prove it. First off, my wife has red/strawberry blonde hair and my friend is a brunette. Second, my friend is 10 years older than my wife. They court person says she has to go to the hearing.

This pisses me off so now it is time for me to be the jerky lawyer I have fun being. I am filing my appearance for my wife Monday including an interesting claim for attorney's fees against the state. Statutorily it is a valid claim assuming I can prove bad faith. I know that they just want her to rat out my friend so they can give her the ticket but that is not going to happen. What a waste of tax dollars making people go to court when they know they did not do it. This ought t be a fun hearing. I hate big brother trying to push people around just because they usually can get away with it.

I know some of you might think the attorneys fees claim is BS but the State only learns through their wallet.

So, how did the hearing go ?

It is next week.

[Jeeper]

So I went to the hearing today and made the officer who signs the photo radar tickets look pretty bad. She admitted they dont check drivers license photos or anythign prior to issuing the ticket. SHe admitted as long as there is someone of the same sex on the title then they issue the ticket. The judge dismissed the actual ticket and will rule on my attorney's fees request in the next week or so. I might appeal it because of the stupidity of the case if I lose. I will keep you informed.

[Neomet]

Which ultimately reveals the kink in photoradar and the real way to beat the system. I only drive the vehicle registered to my wife and she only drives mine.

[Carlos]

Which ultimately reveals the kink in photoradar and the real way to beat the system.

I agree. Just add: "the way to beat the purely "money making" system in this case." We all want safe streets. Cameras fail to make streets any safer; it is the doubling of the length of the yellow light (which the camera operation corporations do - but fail to tell the public).

If my goverment is too dishonest to reveal their real motive behind these cameras (revenue generation) why would anyone feel the least bit of guilt for avoiding this bit of governmental corruption?

[Jim Norman]

This is probably a dumb question;

My small company has as many as 20 trucks on the road on some days. While MOST are assigned to a particular crew and GENERALLY one person drives the truck, if a speeding ticket were to be issued, how would they assign the violation? My company does not currently have a driver's license:)

Our policy is to pay vehicle related fines, that is failed or over due inspections, and the like, but speeding, parking, etc., are the responsibility of the driver. EzPass can be a problem as I am sure everyone has occasionally been caught in non-EzPass lane. We pay them and ask the driver to pay.

So to recap, Who gets the redlight or speeding ticket in a company owned vehicle? and more importantly, who gets the surcharges and points????

Jim