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Old 03-19-2011, 11:47 AM
 
Location: Seattle, WA
2,975 posts, read 4,914,537 times
Reputation: 1222

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I have no respect for cities that profit off of rolling right turns on red or stopping in front of the line, but I also have no sympathy for those who blast straight through or turn left through a red light. So let's make the penalty commensurate with the crime:

Proposed Fine structure:
Stopping in front of the line: $15
Turning right without stopping: $30
Straight through a red light: $158 (the current penalty)
Turning left through a red light: $158 (the current penalty)
Turning right with a "no turn on red" posted: $158 (the current penalty)
Any violation with pedestrians in the crosswalk: add $30.

The advantage for cities would be that the lesser fines for lesser offenses are less likely to be challenged in court, saving the City court costs.

Any thoughts?
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Old 03-19-2011, 12:09 PM
 
1,468 posts, read 4,727,307 times
Reputation: 1087
Quote:
Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992 View Post
I have no respect for cities that profit off of rolling right turns on red or stopping in front of the line, but I also have no sympathy for those who blast straight through or turn left through a red light. So let's make the penalty commensurate with the crime:

Proposed Fine structure:
Stopping in front of the line: $15
Turning right without stopping: $30
Straight through a red light: $158 (the current penalty)
Turning left through a red light: $158 (the current penalty)
Turning right with a "no turn on red" posted: $158 (the current penalty)
Any violation with pedestrians in the crosswalk: add $30.

The advantage for cities would be that the lesser fines for lesser offenses are less likely to be challenged in court, saving the City court costs.

Any thoughts?
It's funny, they probably thought a lot about how to do it and your s is a completely simple solution. It goes without saying lawyers would specialize in defending these like the DUI lawyers and cities will not be able to afford fight back them. At some point it would be considered unconstitutional. It basically has you guilty till proven innocent.
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Old 03-19-2011, 12:46 PM
 
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FL
5,663 posts, read 10,670,093 times
Reputation: 6944
Seems reasonable to me. I might add that there would be triple costs if the offense causes an accident to occur. The part I never understood about the red light cameras, though, is that they (I presume-don't really know) capture the tag number on the car but can't say who was driving the car. The ticket goes to the driver, not the owner, so it seems like it would be pretty difficult to enforce?
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Old 03-19-2011, 01:25 PM
 
1,468 posts, read 4,727,307 times
Reputation: 1087
Quote:
Originally Posted by bbronston View Post
Seems reasonable to me. I might add that there would be triple costs if the offense causes an accident to occur. The part I never understood about the red light cameras, though, is that they (I presume-don't really know) capture the tag number on the car but can't say who was driving the car. The ticket goes to the driver, not the owner, so it seems like it would be pretty difficult to enforce?
I saw a news show on how it is done. There are guys who review the tapes very quickly and make snap judgments on who is guilty and who to give a break to. This would be very arbitrary from what they showed, One guy may let it slide when someone doesn't really stop and rolls a right turn on red with not a car in sight. While another may be a hard a$$ on every offense or doesn't like the looks on the car. IE a jacked up car with big rimes and tinted windows will get a ticket everytime.

Case in point. My wife drover her friend to the doctor in his car. It is a Fancy Cadillac with tinted windows. She had to come back and get some paper work they forgot. She got stopped doing 29 in a 25 zone. This by the way was after making a turn off a 35 MPH road and not passing a speed sign. If you are familer with Fort Lauderdale it was at NW 13 street and 7th ave. This is a drug dealing area and the car my wife was driving was a classic drug dealers car. She was profiled without a doubt. In court it was dismissed mainly because she never passed a speed sign and was not going more then 5 miles over the posted limit. Point being, this whole thing is open for abused. From todays news though it seems it is being stopped anyway.
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Old 03-19-2011, 01:44 PM
 
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FL
5,663 posts, read 10,670,093 times
Reputation: 6944
I hear ya...not really an abuse of power but an unequal application of judgment. I guess that's the problem with all judgment calls, though. Seems to be inherent in the system no matter what the system is. I guess that's why we have judges but even judges have different points of view.
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Old 03-19-2011, 02:00 PM
 
Location: Sarasota FL
6,864 posts, read 12,002,123 times
Reputation: 6743
I support the bill introduced by a member of the FL house to outlaw red light cameras everywhere in the state.
I know, you know, politicians know the only reason for the cameras is to generate revenue. They have nothing to do with 'safety'. Every politician has read the federal studies that show if only 1 second was added to the 'yellow' time, red light running would be reduced by 90% A few cities have done this and guess what. The camera company removed the cameras because they weren't making enough money from them. But what do they and the traffic camera company do? They shorten the 'yellow' time by 1 second to boost revenue. And are the cameras installed at intersections with high accident rates? No, they are installed at intersections with the highest traffic count. This scam should have its name changed from red light camera to revenue camera on traffic lights.
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Old 03-19-2011, 02:58 PM
 
817 posts, read 2,240,546 times
Reputation: 1005
If safety was the REAL issue, here's how it would be addressed..

If you are caught running a red light, you lose your license for a month.

Second offense, six months.

Third offense, a year, and $500 fine.

The cameras...it is ALL ABOUT MONEY...that's IT.
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Old 03-19-2011, 03:53 PM
 
Location: Spring Hill Florida
12,135 posts, read 16,010,445 times
Reputation: 6085
I think the red light camera plan is a good idea overall. Red means STOP. Yellow means PREPARE TO STOP. What's the question there? The laws are in place to protect everybody, the pedestrian as well as other drivers. I like the idea of varying fines for various offenses though. However, to
reduce the amount of automobile accidents due to drivers who feel that the traffic light or the stop line means nothing or very little. Same with STOP signs. What is the question. You Stop, you look, you proceed when safe. Too many people simply ignore traffic control devices which are only there to keep it safe for everybody.
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Old 03-19-2011, 10:50 PM
 
817 posts, read 2,240,546 times
Reputation: 1005
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spring Hillian View Post
I think the red light camera plan is a good idea overall. Red means STOP. Yellow means PREPARE TO STOP. What's the question there? The laws are in place to protect everybody, the pedestrian as well as other drivers. I like the idea of varying fines for various offenses though. However, to
reduce the amount of automobile accidents due to drivers who feel that the traffic light or the stop line means nothing or very little. Same with STOP signs. What is the question. You Stop, you look, you proceed when safe. Too many people simply ignore traffic control devices which are only there to keep it safe for everybody.
If they're a good idea, why the fines? Why not lose your license?

FOLLOW THE MONEY.

And also...where do the cameras stop? Once we start rolling down a slippery slope, it becomes easier and easier to just say "it's ok...it's GOOD...it's for our safety!" and the next thing you know, everything you do is watched by the government.
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Old 03-19-2011, 11:12 PM
 
2,930 posts, read 7,032,305 times
Reputation: 1389
So you suspend their license. Guess what they are gonna do next? Drive with a suspended license. Then what? Send them to jail? That's not cheap either.

I dont like those cameras but people do drive 1,000 times better around them. I've seen people running red lights in the very few spots where they are not present in Broward. People are pathetic and we deserve the nanny state we live in.
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