El Paso is yet another city that installed the controversial red light cameras and so far they've given out $100,000 in tickets. That's a lot of folks running red lights. On one hand, we tend to subscribe to traffic laws with a 'It's not illegal if we don't get caught' philosophy, but on the other hand the sheer number of people running red lights every day is astounding.
Wow, we've just discovered an issue that we could go either way on. We're totally bisexual when it comes to red light cameras. Dirty!
An ethically and scientifically sound study of stop sign usefulness.
http://www.cockeyed.com/citizen/stop/stop1.shtml
"traffic infractions not resulting in any damage, injury, etc.." TehT, WTF??? So lets only give a ticket if someone gets killed? I ride a bike, I stop at signs and lights, and most cars do too. We NEED these cameras for the few who don't, and leave tragedy in their uncaring wake.
The bad thing in El Paso is that the things only take a pix from the rear: if I loan the car to my son, who has previously proven to be a safe driver, and the thing is caught on camera running a light, I get the ticket even though I wasn't driving.
This stands the tort theory of negligent entrustment spang on its head, and is manifestly unconstitutional. The ordinance so providing is already under court attack in EP, and rightly.
If I say that I'm against people running red lights under all circumstances, but then run red lights late at night when I can be anonymous about it, does that mean I'm "on the down low" on this issue?
An El Pasoan could have some fun with a sharpie or some magnetic numbers/letters. Anyone know the license plate number of the city council members, the Chief of Police, the Justice of the Peace, etc?
All I'm saying is that we have laws against hitting people or cars or bikes with other people, cars and bikes. We don't need stupid laws against, say, right turn on red.
get off your high-bike. I _want_ the cameras. I hate bike cops for political reasons. SO yes. Tickets should only be given if there's damage.
hurf durf :fry:
Ever seen what happens to the yellow light that proceeds the red in towns where they have these idiotic cameras? If you blink you'll miss 'em.
one "plus" for installing such cameras is that (ostensibly) we should see a decline in the number of highly objectionable motorcycle traffic cops - or as I like to call them, "armed tax assessors".
I don't mean to sound like an anarchist "cop-hater" but I honestly don't believe municipalities or States should have the option of assessing monetary penalties for traffic infractions not resulting in any damage, injury, etc. It seems like a form of double-taxation under the guise of public safety. There is also no effective recourse, and if you object and mouth-off to an officer... well you know the rest.