What's the deal with non enforcement of red light running? (San Antonio: insurance, home)

[prim8]

So, yesterday morning while running errands I'm sitting at the red light at Potranco and 1604. I'm heading east, away from Westcreek for reference.
My light turns green, I do my normal of checking to make sure cross traffic is/has stopped and I see a car coming from the North on 1604 that doesn't appear to be slowing at all so I don't budge.
Easily 5 seconds after my light turned green this guy blows through the light. I'm agitated because if someone wasn't paying attention it's a major accident in the making, but that's not the worst of it.
Right behind him is a Bexar County Sheriff, but he actually stopped for the red light.

I expected him to throw on his lights and sirens and go get this guy but he just sits there at the light!

So, they'll write speeding tickets (my wife has gotten two in 8 months but I'm not complaining) but to me a greater hazard in this city is the red light running.

Why aren't they enforcing this?

I hate to say it but this city needs a bunch of red light cameras. Maybe that will lessen the problem some.

[ItsTheTruth]

Several studies have shown that red light cameras actually increase accident rates (rear ender instead of a t-bone). Instead of lobbying for red light cameras, lobby for the police to do their job. When you encounter a scenario as you described, call into the sheriff's office and state the situation with the officer's car number.

[TrapperL]

You mean there actually is traffic control in Bexar County? WOW, now that could get infectious and San Antonio might just start doing the same thing. What a concept, traffic laws that are enforced!

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by prim8

So, yesterday morning while running errands I'm sitting at the red light at Potranco and 1604. I'm heading east, away from Westcreek for reference.
My light turns green, I do my normal of checking to make sure cross traffic is/has stopped and I see a car coming from the North on 1604 that doesn't appear to be slowing at all so I don't budge.
Easily 5 seconds after my light turned green this guy blows through the light. I'm agitated because if someone wasn't paying attention it's a major accident in the making, but that's not the worst of it.
Right behind him is a Bexar County Sheriff, but he actually stopped for the red light.

I expected him to throw on his lights and sirens and go get this guy but he just sits there at the light!

So, they'll write speeding tickets (my wife has gotten two in 8 months but I'm not complaining) but to me a greater hazard in this city is the red light running.

Why aren't they enforcing this?

I hate to say it but this city needs a bunch of red light cameras. Maybe that will lessen the problem some.

This city does not need red light cameras. Maybe the deputy was too busy texting or eating a donut to care or notice.

Red lights is becomming a more popular place for people to put their heads down and start texting away...not paying attention to when the light turns green. It is annoying.

[nismospec]

Not to get too far off topic, but this morning there was a bottle neck of traffic on san pedro and hildebrand due to either an accident or a broken down car. In the time it took me to get around all the mess I counted 3 police cars that drove by the mess, and one parked at the Jim's (in the car)....no one did a thing about it.

I was coming home down 281 the other day and the undercover camaro cop car stopped traffic, got out, and helped push a broken down car off the road "in rush hour traffic".

So I wonder what the 4 cop cars excuses were this morning for not lending a hand to a citizen in need as well as helping to make the intersection clear up for safety of all commuters?

[L210]

My sister was pulled over by SAPD for running a yellow light. He claimed that she ran a red light, but didn't actually see it. He was coming from a different direction and said his light was green while she was turning. My sister said the timing of the lights were off (which is quite common here); and, since the cop didn't actually see her run a red light, he let her go with a warning.

[ggeorgie]

Originally Posted by L210

My sister was pulled over by SAPD for running a yellow light. He claimed that she ran a red light, but didn't actually see it. He was coming from a different direction and said his light was green while she was turning. My sister said the timing of the lights were off (which is quite common here); and, since the cop didn't actually see her run a red light, he let her go with a warning.

Lisence, insurance and outstanding warrant check!!!

[ItsTheTruth]

Originally Posted by ggeorgie

Lisence, insurance and outstanding warrant check!!!

Hot sister check! Oh, and check the address on the license for future stalking check!

[prim8]

Originally Posted by ItsTheTruth

Several studies have shown that red light cameras actually increase accident rates (rear ender instead of a t-bone). Instead of lobbying for red light cameras, lobby for the police to do their job. When you encounter a scenario as you described, call into the sheriff's office and state the situation with the officer's car number.

That's pretty interesting.
I wonder what the difference in injuries and damage is between a rear ender and a tbone. Which is worse if either?

I would have loved to been able to call in and put a word in about that particular officer but I didn't see a car number and as you can imagine all the impatient people behind me had been on their horns.
God forbid I keep them from their facebook at work just to save me and my family an accident.

Edit:
I did some of my own research and it appears that you're right (not that I didn't believe you) but most interesting to me is that while rear end collisions did in fact go up, injuries to the vehicle occupants went down in intersections with red light cameras.

To conclude, I would however say that it would probably be best if we could get our officers to actually enforce the law themselves instead of having a computer and contractors do it.

[britishbird]

I'm sick and tired of seeing people treat stop signs as if they're optional. When you enter Braun Station West there is a road with about 4 stops signs on. Yesterday the guy in the lane next to me drove straight through all of them without stopping. Ridiculous! It's not as if there was no way he could miss them - The road has markings on it saying "Stop Ahead" and there are signs also warning of upcoming stop signs. It makes me so mad.