Texas Senate votes to ban red light cameras statewide

 

Mar 29 2017

http://www.fox4news.com/news/texas/244754217-story

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Texas Senate has voted to ban the use of red light cameras in traffic enforcement - nixing tools that had been used to try and stop wrecks at busy intersections.

Supporters of red light cameras, including police and trauma experts, say they help uphold the law and reduce crashes. But critics say they invade privacy, put the burden on drivers to prove their innocence and are used to raise cash for local governments.

The Senate has twice voted in recent years to ban red light cameras but the measures have failed to pass the Texas House.

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Nuvi 2460LMT

Big money campain donations

Bet you look at House Campaign donations and follow their Votes you will see why!

Good

I hope Maryland is next.

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When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is only difficult for the others. It is the same when you are stupid.

Red light cameras had been

Red light cameras had been removed from here in Arlington TX and other Texas cities because the costs and maintenance fees for running the cameras were higher than the revenue. The cameras worked, partially because most people have GPS with red light cameras POI. So, communities with red light cameras were losing money.

Another issue was that, according to the law, only a police officer can give you a ticket and so many red light camera tickets were easily dismissed.

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Re-CAL-culating... "Some people will believe anything they read on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln

Interesting

Incredible. I wonder how long it will be before all states give in the same way. I believe there is a bill to eliminate Florida's too.

What's In Your Wallet?

diesel wrote:

I hope Maryland is next.

grin grin grin

Oh, you were serious?

Baltimore just voted to bring back their cameras.

I think the laws are in fact

ericruby wrote:
diesel wrote:

I hope Maryland is next.

grin grin grin

Oh, you were serious?

Baltimore just voted to bring back their cameras.

reflective of who lives where. And that's how it should be. Why does one state have smokes costing $12/pack, and another, $5? Or one state a person can have a handgun in their car, but another, if pulled over, mandatory jail?

It's pretty obvious, having been on this forum for x number of years, that the thinking tends to lean towards one side. Why? Because the other side isn't here.

Anyway, we don't take these matters seriously. Just look at how many cars have a driver who is looking down, away, to their right, talking and texting on the cell phone. We're not serious about stopping that behavior. As a matter of fact, we have persons who opposing stopping it imho. Then, take a look at Toronto and Ontario, and count the number of people who are talking and texting on their cell phones. That is a place that takes these matters seriously.

In Long Island NY, when they

In Long Island NY, when they introduced red light cameras they changed the timing of the lights so the yellow light was much quicker. They also made local politicians immune from those tickets.

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Re-CAL-culating... "Some people will believe anything they read on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln

Corpus Christi, TX Red Light Cameras Gone

The local news reported today that the red light cameras in Corpus Christi are now gone. It was also reported that those with pending red light camera tickets are not required to pay related fines. smile

Increase yellow time

When yellow time is increased the intersection is safer. When the management decrease the time on the lights we are all in danger.
When they do decrease red light times is for the cash grabber not for our safety. Pedestrians have problem too when the light is one does not give you time to cross.

Good

About time. Now others need to follow suit!

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TomTom built in and Garmin Nuvi 1490T. Eastern Iowa, formerly Southern California "You can check out any time you like...but you can never leave."

It's about time!

I wish they will get rid of the red light cameras nationwide. It's just another money making scheme.

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EGMJR

I don't like red light

I don't like red light cameras, but I wished they were banned another way. Ban them by not making them profitable, by not running red lights. Remember, red light cameras are to raise cash, take that cash away and the cameras go with it. Don't need legislatures to figure that one out.

playing devill's advocate

Sometimes I wonder why many PD are against them, I wonder if they diminish revenue as automated tix tend to create less for the economy. Tix issued as moving violations tend to cost multiples of a rlc, and they also generate surcharges on the tix which go to the town, the county, the municipality, the state, etc. Pretty obvious why insurance would be for the latter.

It's like, if you're a toll booth collector, or have anything to do with supporting the technology, the booth, the construction, etc., do you want automated tolling? Of course not, that's your livelihood.

Re: playing devill's advocate

johnnatash4 wrote:

Sometimes I wonder why many PD are against them, I wonder if they diminish revenue as automated tix tend to create less for the economy.

Because as most state laws explain, tickets can only be issued by a police officer who directly witnesses the infraction, not a bureaucrat watching a video.

Also, as what just happened in Texas, when people stop running red lights the RLCs become outrageously expensive.

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Re-CAL-culating... "Some people will believe anything they read on the internet" - Abraham Lincoln