Are Red Light Cameras a Thing Again in SD? (San Diego: legally, safety)

[djxpress]

I was on Mira Mesa Blvd at Black Mountain Road and noticed red light cameras at the corners. I thought the city got rid of them several years ago?

[oddstray]

Turned 'em off. Not necessarily removed 'em.

I wish they'd resurrect them for right-turn-on-red drivers who completely ignore the presence of pedestrians in the crosswalk.

[Axxlrod]

Doesn't really matter anyway. Anybody that gets one can just ignore it. They can't stick you with the ticket unless you go down there and identify yourself (incriminate yourself) as the driver in the picture.

[djxpress]

I really thought they removed the actual cameras at Mira Mesa Blvd and Black Mountain. Only to see them there a couple weeks ago.

[oddstray]

That's an intersection that's always heavy with traffic in all directions. And everyone is pushing yellow lights (or worse). I don't know how easy it would be to start using red-light cameras again. But if it's going to happen, that's not a bad intersection to have them at.

[BBslider001]

Originally Posted by oddstray

Turned 'em off. Not necessarily removed 'em.

I wish they'd resurrect them for right-turn-on-red drivers who completely ignore the presence of pedestrians in the crosswalk.

Originally Posted by oddstray

That's an intersection that's always heavy with traffic in all directions. And everyone is pushing yellow lights (or worse). I don't know how easy it would be to start using red-light cameras again. But if it's going to happen, that's not a bad intersection to have them at.

Says the socialist minded person.... Or you could just pay attention to what's going on like a pedestrian is supposed to do.

[malcorub16]

The city of San Diego's beloved mayor Bob Filner made those cameras obsolete before going on a groping rampage while in office. Even the ones in El Cajon are gone now.

Anecdotally, I believe they were found to cause more accidents due to sudden braking.

Frankly, I love that in San Diego I don't have to deal with red light cameras, speeding cameras on freeways and stealth unmarked police cars passing out tickets that other cities face.

[oddstray]

Originally Posted by BBslider001

Says the socialist minded person.... Or you could just pay attention to what's going on like a pedestrian is supposed to do.

D'you mean like watching out-of-control and/or speeding drivers heading straight for me - when I'm crossing on my pedestrian walk signal and they are meant to yield right-of-way? In any case, I DO pay attention. That's how I've survived this long.

(That's about road safety, so whether or not I'm socialist minded is entirely irrelevant.)

[Encinitan]

The camera lights always flash at the intersection of Encinitas Blvd and El Camino Real, but a few months ago they flashed on me when I went through a light that was yellow going red and I never got a love letter from the police in the mail, so I guess they're not enforcing them.

[citizensadvocate]

I heard that Oceanside and more recently Vista, CA got rid of them.

The good thing about cameras I see is that they can offer evidence better than a he said she said situation when a crash happens at an intersection. Though the bad thing is that the camera operators are just too greedy for profit as they get to keep quite a percentage of the fines. In some areas the cameras are known to fire well before the red light comes on. There are also proven reports of cities that illegally shortened yellow lights in intersections with cameras.

I wish cameras could be used more to monitor traffic issues and time the lights accordingly.