Are our street intersections really this dangerous? (Sarasota: law, floors)

[d4g4m]

Are the street intersections in your area as dangerous and life threatening as the administrators of the City of Sarasota are claiming?
The City of Sarasota, population 51,000, land area 14.9 Sq miles.
Last year, the city got 5 revenue cameras installed on 5 traffic lights. Seems that their plan to raise revenue for the city is working well. They recently announced that an additional 10 cameras will be installed through out the city.
Who knew that there where so many dangerous, life threatening street intersections in a city of only 14.9 square miles. That's one camera for every square mile.
This is the same city that spent $500,000 to install automated parking meters on Main St and the surrounding streets in an attempt to make alot of money. The program was a total failure and the meters were removed. So they discovered another scheme to extract more money from the residents and visitors. Now it's red light cameras.
If you still believe that red light cameras are 'for your safety', keep voting for the same people who are having them installed.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

So they discovered another scheme to extract more money from the residents and visitors. Now it's red light cameras.
If you still believe that red light cameras are 'for your safety', keep voting for the same people who are having them installed.

I prefer the red light cameras to the parking meters as with the red light cameras you have a choice as to whether you pay.

[Jim Mac]

All intersections are potentially dangerous. The majority of traffic accidents occur at intersections.

[blueherons]

Those intersections where the cameras are located are really, really busy, potentially deadly intersections.

Do I think those cameras make people slow down and pay more attention? Yes, I do.

Even if they only save one life, don't you think that is worth it? That one person is someone's mother, father, sister, brother, etc.

What if that one person saved was your family member?

Revenue driven or not, I think they are a good idea.

[photoman_6]

i agree. cameras should make people more aware of their surroundings and hopefully make them think twice about rushing through an intersection.

[rock creek]

The State is making plans to re-do license plates to be more readable by those camera's The plan is to make them white backround with black numbers on a flat surface

[d4g4m]

90% of the revenue is derived from less than one second red signal [while it's still red for intersecting traffic], right turns and this one is pure money greed, stopped at the light but vehicle wheels over the stop line.
The State of Georgia passed a law requiring any traffic light that has a red light camera to add one second to the yellow time. Red light running was reduced by 90%. The camera companies took their toys and departed because they weren't making enough money. [it's for your safety]
FDOT requires 4.3 seconds of yellow time for a 45 mph zone. If the time is less than 4.3 seconds, the time has been reduced by the camera company/local traffic dept to increase revenue.

[fiege1224]

In Colorado the white line fine caused major backlash for the cost.They reduced the fine to try to calm down the people. The real bad point was it was causing wrecks from people slamming on there brakes to stop before crossing the white line. The bad point of all government is they can't stop spending money they don't have and they always go to far when coming up with ways to collect funds to pay for there spending.

[Cowboyway]

Accidents at intersections are rarely from someone rushing through a yellow. They are usually from someone not paying attention to the signal in the first place (a ton of reasons for that). Think about it....from the time the light turns red, or green on the perpendicular, the first car out at the green has to accelerate and should be looking into traffic before doing so, that takes 2-3 seconds. The accident happens when the car runs a red light that's been red for the 2-3 seconds or the car with the green floors it without looking first. If someone goes though a new green, without having been stopped at the red (driving along) then they should still slow a bit and check for traffic coming from the sides......ride the brake and be prepared.

If a city really cared about the accidents as opposed to the revenue, all they need to do is program the lights so that BOTH directions have a red for an overlapping period of 2-3 seconds. Delay the green a bit and then oncoming will have cleared the grid of anyone going through a yellow to red.

PS most accident occur in parking lots......... And Of course intersections are areas of accidents because that's where cars don't flow in the same direction so it's only natural. Lane changes are a distance behind intersections, and lane change cameras are coming to a road near you!

[d4g4m]

No amount of cameras at an intersection or a huge fine levied will stop a person from running a red light that has been red for 10-20-30-1 minute or more who doesn't see the light, disregards the light, is drunk, is texting, is on a phone, is changing the radio station, is talking to their passenger [face to face]
When you are driving at 45 mph, you are travelling at 66 feet per second.