photo enforced?

[Wiley_Coyote]

I agree with selhars. When people from outside of DC are visiting me, I always tell them "If you see small hash marks, going across the lanes or a SUV parked on the side of a busy street, hit your brakes!" I got one a while back and don't plan on getting any more. That's for the speed cameras. Now for the red light cameras, if you're on a major road in DC and you see the light turn yellow, just stop right away. It gets some getting used to, but easier to get used to that then getting tickets mailed home automatically!

[selhars]

I like driving -- even love driving and drive everywhere -- so here's my take on it.
Do your homework, find out where the cameras are on your routes -- and don't get caught.

To be fair, I do believe that by agreement with the camera enforcement companies and by city statute, part of the deal is that YELLOW lights, where there are right light cameras must be at least three seconds long, if not longer. I may not sound like a log time but if you really time it 3-4 seconds is plenty of time to stop -- so you don't 'get caught going through a short yellow and are basically forced to intentionally go through a red light.

We all know intersections where the yellow is just too darn short, you don't even have time to stop if you wanted to -- you'd still be in the intersection the yellow is so ridiculously short. That's usually not the case at the RLC.

Now sometimes do you get caught having to hit the brakes HARD not to cross the trip wire? -- sure. Just crossing the trip wire and stopping usually won't get you a ticket. It's crossing INTO the intersection that's the problem.

Also I was recently told that the cameras take more than just STILL SNAPSHOT pictures. They take MOVING video.

And maybe I'm more cautious than most but after almost ten years of dealing with red light cameras -- AND not wanting to get rear-ended by the driver behind me who DID want to go through --(I really do, do this) -- as I approach intersections where there are red light cameras, I always glance in my rear view mirror to see how close the person is behind me -- so I can see if THAT PERSON has time to stop -- if I have to stop short. It's just a part of my commute behavior now.

IF you're a regular DC are commuter there's usually no excuse for getting caught. Oh and by the way the RLC tickets are 150.00 now I didn't know that till someone told me -- but sure enough about a year a go Mayor Fenty raised many of the DC ticket fines. And this one DOUBLED!

As for speed cameras -- the locations -- EVEN THE ROVING LOCATIONS -- are posted online. If a driver is paying attention there shouldn't be a problem. Look for a cop's car on the side of the road - and maybe a dish on the car or camera out in front. It's NOT rocket science.

At the regular stationary pole speed cameras -- better than hitting you brakes after you're over the hash marks -- which MIGHT be too late -- is to just be one the lookout for the poles and cameras. They're not HARD TO SPOT.

Not that we have here on this thread -- but I don't know why people get so bent out of shape about them. The locations are posted, the poles and cameras are NOT hard to see. Just do what you have to do. Play the game, slow down for the 3-4 car lengths it takes to get past the camera and move on.

Speed -- if that's the way you drive -- until where the camera is -- slow down, then speed up and go about our business.
If you tend to take yellow lights -- and I do. I ALWASY SPEED UP to go through yellow lights -- but I'm just extra careful at the three locations on my commute route. IF I take all the other yellow lights -- surely I can stop at the THREE where the camera is.

I got ONE red light ticket YEARS ago that I don't even remember why because to DON"T go through red lights -- and I called the camera enforcement dept. And I asked the lady who was helping me (back when you could still get someone on the fing phone) "if I stop short and get rear-ended is the city going to pay for my increased insurance?" I'll never forget what she said" "We'll you really should stop for the YELLOW light. Not 'prepare' to stop" she said you should STOP for the yellow. And I said -- and what about the person behind me who is sure as heck isn't going to stop for a yellow and plans to go through, and he/she hits me if I stop? She just said, "well they really should stop."

That's when I knew that conversation was over. That I needed to end the exchange because one of us was ignorant and it wasn't me. That's when I knew she was not dealing with the reality of driving on the streets of DC. And once she told me there were no points on the ticket, I just paid it and said to myself you got me this time but you'll NEVER get me again on that.

And to this day that's true. I know all the cameras on my route, my alternate routes. I make sure people behind me aren't so close they can't stop. I speed and take yellow lights. And go on about my business. Like I said -- just play the game -- to win -- or at least not to lose. PEACE.

[dkf747]

Why do people slow down to 10 below the limit when passing speed cameras? (exaggerating on the 10 below but it's still annoying that everyone slows down so much for them.)

[HurricaneDC]

I think the best idea is to go no more than 5MPH over the speed limit. Assuming the yellow light is properly timed you'll have enough time to slow down when it goes yellow, unless you're close enough to go through. To me, a yellow means "stop unless it's unsafe to do so."

@Selhars I'm sure in the real world it's different, but in my driving class years ago (well ok, 2 years ago) we learned that when you get rear-ended, it's the person behind you's fault and as such their insurance should cover you.

I've never gotten a red light camera ticket, and the only speed camera tickets I've gotten were deserving. I've never been pulled over for speeding

[Flamingo13]

Originally Posted by HurricaneDC

I usually do 5 over at most, and even then I try to not do that. 5MPH can make a big difference in a collision... frankly I'm not Jack Bauer and DC won't be nuked if I don't get somewhere right on time.

LOL, I wish more people had that mindset.

[marska]

Originally Posted by selhars

I like driving -- even love driving and drive everywhere -- so here's my take on it.
Do your homework, find out where the cameras are on your routes -- and don't get caught.

To be fair, I do believe that by agreement with the camera enforcement companies and by city statute, part of the deal is that YELLOW lights, where there are right light cameras must be at least three seconds long, if not longer. I may not sound like a log time but if you really time it 3-4 seconds is plenty of time to stop -- so you don't 'get caught going through a short yellow and are basically forced to intentionally go through a red light.

We all know intersections where the yellow is just too darn short, you don't even have time to stop if you wanted to -- you'd still be in the intersection the yellow is so ridiculously short. That's usually not the case at the RLC.

Now sometimes do you get caught having to hit the brakes HARD not to cross the trip wire? -- sure. Just crossing the trip wire and stopping usually won't get you a ticket. It's crossing INTO the intersection that's the problem.

Also I was recently told that the cameras take more than just STILL SNAPSHOT pictures. They take MOVING video.

And maybe I'm more cautious than most but after almost ten years of dealing with red light cameras -- AND not wanting to get rear-ended by the driver behind me who DID want to go through --(I really do, do this) -- as I approach intersections where there are red light cameras, I always glance in my rear view mirror to see how close the person is behind me -- so I can see if THAT PERSON has time to stop -- if I have to stop short. It's just a part of my commute behavior now.

IF you're a regular DC are commuter there's usually no excuse for getting caught. Oh and by the way the RLC tickets are 150.00 now I didn't know that till someone told me -- but sure enough about a year a go Mayor Fenty raised many of the DC ticket fines. And this one DOUBLED!

As for speed cameras -- the locations -- EVEN THE ROVING LOCATIONS -- are posted online. If a driver is paying attention there shouldn't be a problem. Look for a cop's car on the side of the road - and maybe a dish on the car or camera out in front. It's NOT rocket science.

At the regular stationary pole speed cameras -- better than hitting you brakes after you're over the hash marks -- which MIGHT be too late -- is to just be one the lookout for the poles and cameras. They're not HARD TO SPOT.

Not that we have here on this thread -- but I don't know why people get so bent out of shape about them. The locations are posted, the poles and cameras are NOT hard to see. Just do what you have to do. Play the game, slow down for the 3-4 car lengths it takes to get past the camera and move on.

Speed -- if that's the way you drive -- until where the camera is -- slow down, then speed up and go about our business.
If you tend to take yellow lights -- and I do. I ALWASY SPEED UP to go through yellow lights -- but I'm just extra careful at the three locations on my commute route. IF I take all the other yellow lights -- surely I can stop at the THREE where the camera is.

I got ONE red light ticket YEARS ago that I don't even remember why because to DON"T go through red lights -- and I called the camera enforcement dept. And I asked the lady who was helping me (back when you could still get someone on the fing phone) "if I stop short and get rear-ended is the city going to pay for my increased insurance?" I'll never forget what she said" "We'll you really should stop for the YELLOW light. Not 'prepare' to stop" she said you should STOP for the yellow. And I said -- and what about the person behind me who is sure as heck isn't going to stop for a yellow and plans to go through, and he/she hits me if I stop? She just said, "well they really should stop."

That's when I knew that conversation was over. That I needed to end the exchange because one of us was ignorant and it wasn't me. That's when I knew she was not dealing with the reality of driving on the streets of DC. And once she told me there were no points on the ticket, I just paid it and said to myself you got me this time but you'll NEVER get me again on that.

And to this day that's true. I know all the cameras on my route, my alternate routes. I make sure people behind me aren't so close they can't stop. I speed and take yellow lights. And go on about my business. Like I said -- just play the game -- to win -- or at least not to lose. PEACE.

OK, moving to MoCo in 2 days, tell me how I find the "bad places"

[selhars]

Once again:

I know for sure that DC and PG county post the speed and red light camera locations on the appropriate Web sites: DC Metropolitan Police Department and PG County Police Department.

I don't know for sure about whether MontCo's camera locations are posted on it's police or county Website.

There IS a site called StopBigBrotherMD.org -- that has all the sites for cameras for PG and MontCo, and other counties as well.

Some of the PG locations may not even be up and running any more. I know for sure some near my have been removed.

Just be on the look out for the poles and camera (near the corner for red lights, and in the middle of blocks for the speed cameras).

[BigCityDreamer]

I'm so glad they put in these photo enforcement cameras. I wish they put a lot more. Show those slickers who want to speed that their glory days are over. lol.

[dictum9]

http://www.stopbigbrothermd.org/p/speed-camera-location.html (broken link)

Has anyone converted that google map into Garmin GPS format? Then it's simply the matter of downloading the map into GPS that can beep when you get close to one.

[Wiley_Coyote]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

I'm so glad they put in these photo enforcement cameras. I wish they put a lot more. Show those slickers who want to speed that their glory days are over. lol.

having been pulled over by cops for doing absolutely nothing illegal many a times, i actually prefer the cameras over cops. at least with the cameras it's not up to their judgement whether they want to pull you over or not.