Red light camera industry fights citizen vote

[Nuclear Unicorn]

Red light camera industry fights citizen vote

BROOKSVILLE, Florida - You could call it a love triangle, except there is no love lost between the three parties fighting over red light cameras in one of Florida's smallest cities.

Florida's leading red light camera-provider American Traffic Solutions confirms to 10 Investigates Wednesday that it has joined the fight to prevent a citizen-backed referendum on red light cameras from ever reaching a ballot. The city is also fighting the referendum on grounds that it infringes upon city council's power.

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/investigations/2014/09/03/ats-fights-brooksville-citizen-referendum-on-red-light-cameras/15013135/

These damned peasants are getting out of hand with their referendums and democracy and such.

[jambo101]

1. Easiest way to get rid of red light cameras.

Is to not run red lights, it wont take long for these communities to realize theres no money to be made on red light cameras and they will disappear.
I have no problem with citizens wielding the power to the people but the only rational i can see for going to this whole bunch of trouble to get rid of red light cameras is your driving is such that red light cameras are going to nab you with your penchant to run red lights.
Sometimes theres consequences to ones actions and paying a ticket for running a red light is one of them.

[Trajan]

2. Your opinion

I would prefer to see the will of the people be done ...

You apparently support the desires of a corporation over the desires of regular citizens ... that is a position I could never advocate ...

[GoneFishin]

11. +1.

[nomorenomore08]

26. +2

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. Here's a novel idea -- how about the government heed the will of the people? nt

[jambo101]

4. Heres another novel idea

Stop at stop signs and lights and there'd be no need for red light cameras.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

5. Don't break the law and there's no need for a 4th, 5th or 6th amendments.

Laws -- including stop signs and red lights -- exist by consent of the governed.

[rhett o rick]

18. And while we are at it, everyone stop breaking the laws and we can dump

the police dept and complete justice system. And we wouldn't need guns.

[Travis_0004]

6. Red light cams violate due process

The ticket will be sent to the owner of the car.

Even if it is obvious from the photo that you are not driving you still have to pay the ticket or tell them who was driving. That should be their problem to figure out who was driving not the owner of the car.

[yallerdawg]

7. It's not a shakedown, is it?

Where I live, the story is the ticket is for less than a police-issued citation, isn't reported to state or insurance company, and doesn't go on your permanent driving record. Just send us the money.

My favorite story is the feller who got sent a picture of his car running the light, mailed back a picture of the money to pay the fine. They report the judge got really pissy and it got worse financially, so I don't recommend this unless money is no object and this issue really pisses you off.

[tooeyeten]

31. Ignore the ticket

You have a credit issue, you will be reported.

[rhett o rick]

20. If you claim it wasn't you driving the vehicle it's dropped here. nm

[Travis_0004]

22. that wasnt the case here

You had to sign a report with the name of the person Driving your vehicle (speed cameras).

That was before a judge ordered them shut down, the town did not comply, so the judge ordered the county police to sieze them.

[VScott]

9. Will they be nailing bicyclists and sending them tickets as well?

Simple matter solved by requiring bikes to be registered, and an easily identifiable plate attached.

[R.Quinn]

10. I respectfully disagree.

The easiest way to get rid of red light cameras is to ignore the tickets that they send you because the tickets themselves are unlawful. THAT is how they will realize there is no money to be made... because nobody pays them.

Personally, I've had a 100% success rate with this strategy here in Missouri.

[BrotherIvan]

23. Yes, you don't have to pay them

I got one from Arizona and looked it up. They are not the same as a ticket issued by an officer. Ignore them.

[Oktober]

13. If we put cameras in everyone's home...

... Think of all the crimes we could prosecute or prevent...

[Dr. Strange]

14. That's not a guarantee.

They'll just shorten the yellow light (even though that compromises safety):
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130514/17551823088/floridas-redlight-program-designed-to-make-driving-more-dangerous-shortening-yellow-lights.shtml

Or program the cameras to catch drivers "speeding" in a school zone when school isn't in session:
http://hotair.com/archives/2014/08/25/sweet-2-4-million-ticket-amnesty-in-ny-where-speed-cameras-malfunctioned/

The red light camera companies aren't about safety--they're about profit.

[Reter]

15. Or spray them with black paint

Does the job real well.

[MindPilot]

21. Troll Alert!

You clearly are not interested in gaining any insight regarding this issue.

[LadyHawkAZ]

32. Yeah, that worked here

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/08/25/sweet-2-4-million-ticket-amnesty-in-ny-where-speed-cameras-malfunctioned/

And here

http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2014/07/chicago_to_review_9000_red-lig.html

Great advice!

[cloudbase]

8. They were voted out in Houston. n/t

[kcr]

12. Why not vote out the council members

and replace them with those who will remove the cameras? The article doesn't make it clear if referendums are the typical way of voting on issues and this groups is blocking it, or if this is an attempt to circumvent the politicians that were elected.

[jambo101]

16. Is there any logic to having any rules of the road?

If people are going to balk at devices used to apprehend traffic scofflaws why have any laws aimed at driving, is highway anarchy a viable idea?

[Nuclear Unicorn]

17. Who has argued such a thing?

Just because a law passed doesn't mean we're beholden to keep it forevermore. It was tried, it has not worked and in the eyes of many people it is being abused.

[rhett o rick]

19. It looks to me like a very expensive way to catch people breaking this law.

The companies get most of the money collected. And the company will not allow their film to be used for other purposes (I assume w/o a financial reward).

[jambo101]

24. How much money

Would these camera companies make if every one stopped at the red lights?

[rhett o rick]

25. If it were possible for everyone to be perfect and not break laws, we would be in heaven.

Your argument isn't logical.

[jambo101]

28. Not asking every one to be perfect.

but stopping for red lights aint rocket science..
If stopping for red lights strikes you as illogical then enjoy your tickets.

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. Speaking as a commercial driver with nearly 2 million accident free miles under my belt....

let me say that after reading your responses on this thread, it is clear you have no idea what the hell you are talking about.

Red light cameras are a scam, full stop. As indicated in a post above, the operators (Private companies, mind you) SHORTEN yellow light times on municipally owed equipment in order to enhance their cameras ability to photograph more "scoffflaws" (your word). There are incidents where tickets have been sent to drivers who are clearly not in the wrong, in that they were in the intersection before the light turned red, yet the camera still takes their pic and they get one of these 'tickets' .

As far as I am aware, it is the case in every single state that as long as your front tires are over the line before the light turns red and you continue through the intersection, you have not violated any motor vehicle code, but these cameras are set to catch people who have done nothing wrong.

Damned few drivers intentionally run stop signs or lights. It isn't something a reasonable person does. These camera systems are promoted by and sold to municipalities by companies who do it FOR PROFIT, NOT FOR SAFETY.

[djean111]

27. Dang. When I read the title of the OP, my first thought was of walking around in Amsterdam,

and the ladies sitting in the windows of the storefronts.

[Gothmog]

29. We voted redlight cameras out of Houston a couple of years ago

It was a good decision