Speed Cameras

[Tony]

This came up in another thread, and as we have embraced speed cameras with a gusto I thought I'd ask about it here. . . . . and having driven on your freeways recently, I know the speed limit is really 10 -20 mph over the posted limit and with the number of drivers exceeding the speed limit and traffic volumes, enforcement must be difficult.

I looked at Wiki and got this info ~

In the United States, camera enforcement has been controversial since the first speed camera system issued a ticket in Friendswood, Texas in 1986 & La Marque, Texas in 1987. Neither program lasted more than a few months before public pressure forced the systems to be dropped.
Some U.S. states that formerly allowed only red-light enforcement cameras (but not photo radar speed enforcement cameras), have now approved, or are considering, the implementation of photo radar. The Maryland legislature approved such a program in January 2006. In both 2005 and 2006 the California legislature considered, but did not pass, bills to implement photo radar.

Do you think speed cameras will ever come in?

[Virginian]

I got a ticket from a speed camera in DC. Not technically a ticket somehow since I didn't go to court or get points, but I was fined $50.

[Pedro56]

We use them here and I think that all enforcement cameras is a bullshit excuse for municipalities and states to not hire more bodies to do the enforcement. We are undermanned by about 6000 PO's. Speed cameras here are in the construction zones, 375 first offense, 700 next offense with an automatic suspension of the D/L.

[Virginian]

Speed cameras here are in the construction zones, 375 first offense, 700 next offense with an automatic suspension of the D/L.

[Trojan 42]

You can hardly move for the damn things here. Allegedly they are only supposed to be sited in accident blackspots, but that's bollocks. They are just money making machines. $120 fine plus 3 points on your licence. (12 points = goodbye licence). And they take your pic at around 34 in a 30 too. I know from experience.

[Willowdared]

I don't think we have any speed cameras in my area, but we have several cities with red-light cameras.

[cajunguy]

We just got the speed cameras mounted in two vans at the beginning of this month. They were talking about them on the news this morning and said that about 1100 cites have already been sent out. This is in less than a month.

And they supposedly give you six over before you get flashed.

People are already starting to complain about them.

One guy they interviewed commented that if you're rushing one of your kids to the hospital and get pulled over by a traffic cop, you can at least explain why you're speeding, but with the cameras, there is no explaining. You just get the citation, then have to try talk your way out of it later.

We are also getting the red light cameras, but they haven't been installed yet.

.

[dadyswat]

I don't like them. They're just a money maker for the vendor and juridiction using them. Nothing personal, I'm just old school.

[MacLean]

I don't like the idea of anyone not being able to face their accuser in court. Always seemed like a constitutional problem to me. How do you accuse a car of a violation committed by an unknown driver?

That interface between us and the violator is an important part of the system.

[wanna_b_trooper]

First time I ever saw one was when I was stationed in Germany. It was a red light camera and I didnt think about it till i got the citation from the Polizei. This was 1990.
They also use them on the Hardy toll road in Houston if you blow the express pass lane at the toll booth.

[Motorwaycop]

When first brought in in our area we, the traffic section who deal with all the bad collisions, were asked about where they should be sited.
We duly advised and they were put into places where we had suffered a large number of fatalities due in part to speed.
They also set them at the same level for enforcement that we were using ie. at least 10mph over the limit.

That has all now changed, the camera enforcement has nothing to do with the police as such, even though the public think it does.
We also have to justify in writing, with proof, the reason why we set a camera off on duty in a marked car with the emergency lights clearly visible!

There is a backlash against the cameras and people are now starting to murmur about how they don't catch the unlicensed drivers, the unisured drivers, the drunk drivers etc etc

And the answer incredible as it may seem is to have more police enforcing these laws!
Best of luck with that as most forces have got rid of there traffic units and the beat bobbies are run ragged trying to just service the incoming calls, and most haven't a clue anyway about traffic enforcement as that bit of law is now deemed unimportant compared to more important skilss such as how to fiddle the crime stats.

End rant, sorry touched a nerve somewhere.

And yes Trojan traffic men do have feelings just not sympathy!

[Tuff]

If I remember right the great state of Texas is testing some new ones as we speak...... they are located between Marlin and College Station on hwy 6...

From what I was told it is a two unit operation, first one takes pictures of every car that passes, the second is set up a few miles down hwy and does the same, takes pictures of every plate and picture of driver. Computer does the math with time line between the two sets of pictures and if you were speeding you get a ticket in the mail with a picture of your plate and a picture of the driver of the car....


MY OPINION!! Is that they are not cool......

[Tony]

We have point to point cameras like you Tuff, they were first used for heavy vehicle enforcement, log books, fatigue then speed. Now they are used for everyone for speed. It's on the major freeway between Melbourne (Victoria) and Sydney (New South Wales.)

We've had red light cameras for about 20 years and in the 90's we introduced mobile speed cameras set up in unmarked cars. These were operated by us, I did course #1. A few years back they tendered it out & a private company runs the cameras but police set the location and times. They zap at 7 kph over the limit (= 4.3 mph).

We have now got fixed speed cameras on many freeways and red light / speed cameras at many intersections on major roads. It has impacted on our road toll, driver's are more likely to do 10 kph over instead of 20 kph over. This of course reduces the severity of the collisions.

1-9 over = $139 / 1 point
10-24 over = $220 / 3 points
25-34 over = $290 / 4 points & one month D/L suspension
35-44 over = $3## / 6 points & 6 months D/L suspension
45 or more = $4## / 8 points & 12 months D/L suspension plus we can seize the car for 2 days on 1st offence, 3rd offence we can ask for the court for the car to be sold.

And Motorwaycop ~ your rant could be used for our Dept as well. They split up lots of the larger traffic units into Sgt & 9 which gives a greatly reduced coverage. There's a push to reform to larger units but the local Inspectors (= Captains) are fighting this because they use their small traffic unit to assist in crime ops or flashers down on the beach. A fatal collision costs the community $1,000,000. That's the cost of services, the impact on family, loss of income, insurance payouts etc... The cost of a flasher??