The top money-producing red light cameras in Dallas, Texas use short yellow warning times.
A local news investigation has found that the city of Dallas, Texas depends upon short yellow timing to maximize red light camera profit. Of the ten cameras that issue the greatest number of tickets in the city, seven are located at intersections where the yellow duration is shorter than the bare minimum recommended by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), KDFW-TV found.
The city's second highest revenue producing camera, for example, is located at the intersection of Greenville Avenue and Mockingbird Lane. It issued 9407 tickets worth $705,525 between January 1 and August 31, 2007. At the intersections on Greenville Avenue leadding up to the camera intersection, however, yellows are at least 3.5 or 4.0 seconds in duration, but the ticket producing intersection's yellow stands at just 3.15 seconds. The yellow is .35 seconds shorter than TxDOT's recommended bare minimum.
"For 30 miles per hour, if your yellow time was less than three and a half, you would not be giving that driver enough time to react and brake and stop prior to getting to the intersection," TxDOT Dallas District office transportation engineer supervisor Chris Blain told KDFW.
A small change in signal timing can have a great effect on the number of tickets issued. About four out of every five red light camera citations are issued before even a second has elapsed after the light changed to red, according to a report by the California State Auditor. This suggests that most citations are issued to those surprised by a quick-changing signal light. Confidential documents obtained in a 2001 court trial proved that the city of San Diego, California and its red light camera vendor, now ACS, only installed red light cameras at intersections with high volumes and "Amber (yellow) phase less than 4 seconds."
Dallas likewise installed the cameras at locations with existing short yellow times. A total of twenty-one camera intersections in Dallas have yellow times below TxDOT's bare minimum recommended amount. The Texas Transportation Institute study also found that shorter yellows generate a 110 percent jump in the number of tickets, but at the cost of safety. Increasing the yellow one second above the recommended minimum cut crashes by 40 percent.
Since the Dallas intersection ticketing program launched last December, it has issued $13.5 million worth of automated citations from sixty camera locations. Beginning in September, however, Texas cities must split camera ticket profit with the state. To make up for lost revenue, Dallas plans to install forty more cameras.
Source: Investigation: Red Light Camera Red Alert (KDFW-TV (TX), 11/13/2007)
I think it is time for a class action Suit against that City...I would think you could easily win that one...and make them take out the Cameras..and increase the Yellow time.
I think it is time for a class action Suit against that City...I would think you could easily win that one...and make them take out the Cameras..and increase the Yellow time.
Have you noticed the "Recommends" in the passage. When they recommend you do something, it doesn't mean you have to.
-- Rodney..
oditius.htc@gmail.com
BMW Zumo 550
HTC Touch Pro - Garmin XT
I am sure a good lawyer could site the safety factor of the statistics of the longer yellow..and any good Jury will see that they are just cheating people..and not doing for the safety.
A red light camera in Arnold, Missouri tickets a man for running a light simultaneously yellow and red.
Crawford ticket imageA red light camera in Arnold, Missouri ticketed a man faced with both a yellow and a red light simultaneously. Motorist Mike Crawford saw the yellow light at the intersection of 141 and Astra Way at 1:40pm on July 4 and proceeded through in safety. Weeks later, he received a citation in the mail demanding $94.50. In challenging the ticket, Crawford noticed the photograph showed both yellow and red lights illuminated. While an administrative hearing officer dismissed the violation, Crawford remained upset by the process because he was put in the position of proving himself innocent.
"We're innocent until proven guilty and that (red light camera) ordinance violates that," Crawford told KSDK television in an interview. "You're guilty by the virtue of the fact that you own the vehicle that has gone through the red light and you have to prove that someone else was driving the vehicle."
Crawford's citation was likely caused by a combination of factors. First, Arnold's red light camera program is set to trigger citations a split-second after the light turned red. In this case, the trigger is set to so short a time, likely one-tenth of a second, that the signal shown on the left of the photo changed from yellow to red before the signal seen on the right did so.
The Arnold ticket was no fluke. The highwayrobbery.net website has documented a number of similar simultaneous red and yellow tickets in California and traced the cause to a second factor -- the difference in speed between an LED bulb and a slightly slower incandescent bulb. If one signal head uses an LED and another an incandescent bulb, tickets can issue in cases equivalent to running a "red" light in the amount of time it takes for a light to appear after flipping a switch -- an amount so small that it is not detected by the human eye.
According to a report by the California State Auditor, about four out of every five red light camera citations in the state were issued for split-second violations. Shorter trigger settings or "grace periods" allow jurisdictions to collect more revenue because the greatest number of technical violations occur within the first 0.25 seconds after a light turns red, according to a Texas Transportation Institute study. Ticketing such violations has little impact on safety as the same study showed the probability of a right-angle collision within a split-second after a signal changes from yellow to red is almost zero at an intersection with a protected left turn lane. "Given a 1.0-second all-red interval, the probabilities also suggest that crossing through vehicles will not start to enter until after about 4 seconds have lapsed," the Texas study explained (page 99).
More than half of the citations generated by a Capitola, California red light camera are bogus.
Capitola MallA red light camera in Capitola, California is generating $381 tickets for motorists who did nothing wrong. The out-of-control camera is located at 41st Avenue and Clares Street and was designed to ticket motorists headed to the Capitola Mall. Now between 50 and 60 percent of the tickets it generates are bogus.
"It's going nuts," Capitola Police Chief Richard Ehle told the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper.
In addition to other problems, the camera is generating tickets for shoppers making legal right turns on red and ticketing motorists who roll forward before the light turns green. Capitola police claim they are "catching" the tickets before they are mailed by ATS, the vendor in charge of the camera program.
Last year, the Santa Cruz Superior Court brought Capitola's review process into question. Police failed to notice that red light camera vendor ATS issueed $9525 worth of duplicate citations to be issued.
"With a new program there's a lot of trial and error," Capitola Police Chief Richard Ehle told the Sentinel at the time.
In the meantime, motorists are cutting through nearby parking lots to avoid the haywire ticket camera. Mall workers fear being forced to go to court to defend themselves against a bogus ticket. Police promise to drop charges against anyone wrongly cited.
New Mexico: 1300 Bogus Speed Camera Tickets Issued
Former high-ranking Albuquerque, New Mexico police officer files lawsuit against inaccurate speed camera citations.
Sonny LeeperA former police captain is suing Albuquerque, New Mexico to force the city to refund speed camera citations that were improperly issued. When three of the city's television stations brought cameras to the administrative hearing where Sonny Leeper was to defend himself, the retired captain was quickly found not guilty of speeding.
Leeper, who left the Albuquerque Police Department last year, had been accused of driving 42 MPH in a 40 MPH construction zone. The camera, however, had been set to ticket people exceeding 30 MPH, even though there was no 30 MPH sign posted. Leeper has teamed up with several other defendants and attorney Paul Livingston to demand refunds for up to 1300 motorists wrongly accused. The city admitted that "hundreds" have already had fines canceled after asking, but Leeper worries about the rest.
"They just send in their $100 to $150 fine," Leeper told KOB-TV. "Are those people being notified? Are they getting a refund for this mistake?"
The city insists refunds will only be given to those who take a day off to come to an administrative hearing.
New Mexico: 1300 Bogus Speed Camera Tickets Issued
Former high-ranking Albuquerque, New Mexico police officer files lawsuit against inaccurate speed camera citations.
Sonny LeeperA former police captain is suing Albuquerque, New Mexico to force the city to refund speed camera citations that were improperly issued. When three of the city's television stations brought cameras to the administrative hearing where Sonny Leeper was to defend himself, the retired captain was quickly found not guilty of speeding.
Leeper, who left the Albuquerque Police Department last year, had been accused of driving 42 MPH in a 40 MPH construction zone. The camera, however, had been set to ticket people exceeding 30 MPH, even though there was no 30 MPH sign posted. Leeper has teamed up with several other defendants and attorney Paul Livingston to demand refunds for up to 1300 motorists wrongly accused. The city admitted that "hundreds" have already had fines canceled after asking, but Leeper worries about the rest.
"They just send in their $100 to $150 fine," Leeper told KOB-TV. "Are those people being notified? Are they getting a refund for this mistake?"
The city insists refunds will only be given to those who take a day off to come to an administrative hearing.
Colorado: Gardening Truck Accused of Speeding 102 MPH Over Limit
Fort Collins, Colorado photo radar unit accuses a landscaping truck of driving an impossible speed.
GM pickupA speed camera in Fort Collins, Colorado accused a truck belonging to Earthpower Landscaping of barreling down a local road at 132 MPH. According to citation records placed online by the Coloradoan newspaper, a ticket camera photographed a GM pickup truck at 4:07pm on May 9 and accused it of violating the 30 MPH speed limit at 1400 West Vine by 102 MPH. Such speeds are unlikely in a commercial work vehicle. Even one of GM's most powerful trucks, the $45,000 GMC Sierra Denali, is limited to a top speed of just 99 MPH.
The city did not pursue the $300 ticket and six license demerit points against the truck's owner. Fort Collins Police Sergeant Mike Trombley told the Coloradoan that it was probably an error, but he refused to say how many more innocent motorists were wrongly accused. In the past twenty months, the system has issued more than $540,000 worth of tickets with Redflex, the Australian company that operates the program, pocketing $181,000.
Source: Citys photo-radar system keeps speeders in check (The Coloradoan, 8/26/2007)
Texas: Innocent Man Faces Uphill Battle Against Camera Ticket
A victim of an undeserved red light camera ticket has little recourse under the current law in North Richland Hills, Texas.
Archie WrightAn innocent man is fighting an uphill battle to clear his name after a red light camera in Richland Hills, Texas accused him of a violation he did not commit. According to the $75 ticket Archie Wright received, his 1997 Pontiac Grand Am blew through the light at Booth Calloway Road and Glenview Drive. This was not possible. Wright sold that three months ago. Nonetheless, he is still struggling to clear his name.
"To me it's like a bunch of nerds have taken over law enforcement," Wright told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper. "These red-light cameras are popping up all over the place. I think people should be aware of just what a hassle it can be to fight one of these things."
Under the city's current ordinance, a photo ticket will only be dropped if the recipient names someone who is willing pay the fine. In this case, Wright does not remember who bought the vehicle or even whether that individual was the one driving at the time of the incident. Wright does not think he should become an unpaid private investigator for the city tracking down the culprit. Wright called Redflex, the Australian vendor Redflex that operates the system for the city. Wright was essentially told that he had to pay up.
Starting in September, Texas residents falsely accused by red light cameras will have the option of appealing any decision by a city-paid "hearing officer" to a jury.
Source: A cautionary tale of cameras and cars (Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX), 7/31/2007)
-- I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
NM: Red Light Camera Caught Ticketing the Innocent
An Albuquerque, New Mexico red light camera is ticketing motorists turning right on red even when they have a green arrow.
Gary Williams, KOATA television news employee who received a red light camera ticket in Albuquerque, New Mexico proved the device has been wrongly ticketing motorists who did not actually run red lights. Gary Williams, who works at KOAT-TV, drove his white Ford pickup through a red light without stopping at the intersection of Carlisle and Montgomery. According to the indisputable photographic proof on the citation, the light appeared red for 9.26 seconds when Williams entered the intersection while making a right-hand turn. The city demanded $100.
Williams did not believe it, and he had the equipment needed to verify the city's claim. After videotaping the intersection, he discovered that the photograph on the ticket did not tell the whole story. Yes, the light was red, but drivers at the intersection have a green arrow permitting right-hand turns without stopping for 14 seconds after the light turns red. A 3-second yellow arrow brings the total allowable turning time to 17 seconds.
Williams presented the evidence to a city hearing officer who quickly dismissed the citation. Police claimed they would look into the matter.
"If I was wrongly accused, then what does this say for everybody else?" Williams asked, in his interview with KOAT last month.
"It would be interesting to see how many innocent people paid the $100 to $300 fine and never fought the ticket," Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano wrote. "Also how would the average citizen fight the ticket? As the newscast shows, the evidence photo only shows the vehicle supposedly running the red light. The evidence is deceiving and would have held up to the 'yes or no,' 'no room for argument' hearing provided on these cases."
A videoclip of the KOAT-TV report from YouTube is available at the source link below.
Source: Red Light Camera Flaw - YouTube video (KOAT-TV (NM), 5/30/2007)
Tennessee: Red Light Camera Mistakes Pickup Truck for BMW
A red light camera accuses a Knoxville, Tennessee motorist of running a red light in a pickup truck she has never seen before.
Knoxville ticketA red light camera in Knoxville, Tennessee claimed a white Toyota pickup truck photographed running a red light was actually a silver BMW convertible. Knoxville motorist Tamara K, who runs the View from the Porch blog, received the $50 ticket that insisted her Z3 convertible had been seen running a light on May 22 at 8:17pm.
A closer look at the photo showed the optical character recognition software used by the Australian red light camera operator Redflex had mistaken the number "2" on the pickup truck's license plate for the "3" that appears on the BMW's plate. Knoxville police insist that each violation is carefully scrutinized by two human beings: Once by the camera vendor that issues citations for a cut of the profit, and a second time by a sworn Knoxville police officer. Neither noticed that the description of a "BMW convertible" on the citation in no way matched the Toyota Tacoma shown in the photo.
"But instead of some public servant reading this and calling me on the phone with a 'Whoops! We screwed up! Sorry!' I will have to go downtown and perform my obeisances in an orgy of forelock tugging, curtsying, and groveling, and beg my betters to please let me go about my business unmolested," Tamara wrote.
Chicago Red Light Camera Tickets Innocent Columnist
A Chicago, Illinois motorist fights a bogus red light camera ticket by writing a newspaper column about it.
Arlene JonesA red light camera issued a violation to an innocent motorist in Chicago, Illinois last week. Unlike most recipients of such tickets who must either take time off of work to dispute citations or just give up and pay them, Arlene Jones decided to fight back. A regular column in her community's newspaper, the Austin Weekly News, offered her a platform to expose the city's practices.
"I was going through my mail the other day when a return address caught my attention. City of Chicago -- Department of Revenue," Jones wrote yesterday. "Red Light Violation! The infamous red light violation taken by the cameras when you run a red light. The camera that the city says 'doesn't lie.'"
The enclosed $90 citation accused her of running a red light at the intersection of Narragansett and Irving Park at 6:49am. One of the ticket's photos showed her truck stopped behind the crosswalk. Another showed an empty intersection. The final photo showed a close up of her license plate. Jones never ran the light.
From past experience with questionable parking tickets, Jones knew that contesting by mail would result in late fees and excuses from the city. She signed up to have a city hearing officer hear her evidence in person the case at the end of June.
"I am going to ask the city to reimburse me for my time and travel expenses to fight their phony ticket," Jones wrote. "I think $90 is a fair amount."
Man Found Innocent Still Gets Red Light Camera Collection Notice
Texas: Man Found Innocent Still Gets Red Light Camera Collection Notices
A motorist declared innocent of a red light camera violation still gets collection notices from Houston, Texas.
Ken BraunsteinA man found "not liable" for a red light camera ticket is still being asked to pay money to Houston, Texas. On February 4, a red SUV with a license plate ending in the letters "PPM" was photographed entering an intersection after the signal light turned red. Weeks later, Houston resident Ken Braunstein, the owner of a white Honda Accord coupe with plates ending in "PPN," received a ticket in the mail bearing a photograph of the red SUV.
"This is not my fault," Braunstein told KPRC-TV. "Someone made a mistake."
Braunstein was forced to take time off work to prove his own innocence. He was found "not liable" in an official hearing, but he is still getting harassing collection notices from the city.
Houston Police Sergeant Michael Muench told KPRC that the red light camera program produced "high-quality" citations with a "99 percent" accuracy rate. With 64,000 tickets issued so far, that means at least 640 individuals have been falsely accused, according to Muench's figure.
So far, only 150 have gone to the trouble and expense of challenging the $75 citations.
A Dallas, Texas red light camera accuses the owner of a white car of committing an offense in a black sedan.
Acura 3.2 TLA Texas resident is fighting a photo ticket he received for an offense he did not commit. Last month, a Dallas red light camera accused Richard Gregory of running a red light in a black Acura 3.2 TL at 7:15 in the morning. At the time, Gregory was at his home in League City, located outside of Houston, 265 miles away from Dallas.
Gregory drives a white Chrysler and does not own an Acura, contrary to what is stated on the ticket. The photograph of the license plate on the citation showed the computer misread an "N" for an "M" in his license plate. In attempting to correct the error, Gregory lost respect for the automated enforcement system he once supported.
"I can't find out anything," Gregory told the Galveston County Daily News. "The response form doesn't even allow me to say that isn't my car."
So he called the city of Dallas which, instead of dropping the obviously erroneous citation, told him that he had to drive 530 miles round-trip and prove in court that he never owned the Acura.
"How do you prove you've never owned something?" Gregory asked the Daily News. "It's not as if I had it and sold it."
Source: Man says traffic camera falsely accused him (Galveston County Daily News (TX), 4/15/2007)
-- I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
A ticket camera in in Cleveland, Ohio are charged two motorists with offenses that they did not commit.
The wrong carA number of motorists in Cleveland, Ohio have caught the city's red light and speed cameras issuing bogus tickets. WEWS-TV cameraman Dave Hatala received a $100 ticket in the mail for, the notice claimed, driving 48 MPH in a 35 zone on Chester Avenue near 71st Street last July. Hatala was certain he had not been speeding.
In examining the photos, Hatala realized it was obvious that a vehicle in an adjacent lane was traveling faster than he was. WEWS reporter Duane Pohlman had Case Western University mathematics professor Chris Butler analyze the photographic evidence. He calculated that the camera had overestimated Hatala's speed by 8 MPH and, in fact, that the other car was the one doing 48 MPH.
The same camera accused Massillon residents Bill and Sue Faber of running a red light -- something they could not have done since they had not been in the city for six months. The red light camera photograph shows a Dodge sedan with an unclear license plate. That plate number listed on the ticket matches the one on Bill Faber's truck. Faber believes the city could not read the plate in the photo and just guessed what it might be.
"I always thought we were always innocent until proven guilty and now I find it's guilty until I can prove I'm innocent," Faber told WEWS.
WEWS reporter Duane Pohlman spent six months investigating the city's camera system and found the city stonewalled requests for documents related to its public safety program. The city issued more than 58,000 tickets last year generating $5.8 million in revenue.
A high-ranking Chicago alderman admits the system was installed to generate millions in revenue.
Ed BurkeA high-ranking member of the Chicago, Illinois city council admitted yesterday that the city intended its red light camera program -- which has raised $35.1 million -- to be a revenue raiser. Council Finance Committee Chairman Ed Burke, 62, spoke to reporters about his plan to ban GPS navigation devices that warn motorists of nearby speed and red light cameras. During the event, reporters quizzed Burke about whether revenue was the reason for the cameras.
"Of course it is," Burke said, as reported in the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper. "It's budgeted in our annual appropriation ordinance. That's why all of these cameras are being installed. You can't deny the reality. The reality is people blow through these intersections and they're going to be caught and they're going to be fined... It has become a big revenue source, absolutely."
While stand-alone GPS camera detecting devices are not commonly used in the US, they are extensively used in the UK. Some automakers even offer GPS detection devices as a factory option in the European market. According to an insurance survey completed earlier this year, the devices work. After looking at one million miles of travel in corporate fleet vehicles, researchers found users of camera detectors were involved in 50 percent fewer accidents.
Illinois: Motorist Ticketing Balances Chicago Budget
Car seizures and traffic tickets provide $210 million in annual revenue to Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago police. Photo: Diana Connolly/FlickrChicago, Illinois is dependent on traffic tickets, parking citations and automobile seizures for balancing the city budget. A combination of $90 red light camera tickets, $160 towing fees and various forms of speeding and parking tickets generated $210 million in 2006 -- just enough to cover the city's budget deficit, which is projected to grow to $217 million next year.
"Mussolini would be proud of Chicago's parking system," towing victim David Gorodess, 35, told the Chicago Tribune. "Even when you are parking legally, you just can't park downtown. Somebody is making a lot of money."
Gorodess had his car towed in a zone where parking was prohibited from 4pm to 6pm. Gorodess was not parked in the spot during that time. By offering the wrongly ticketed very little recourse, the city collected $160.3 million last year in parking violations alone. Speeding tickets generated an additional $4.4 million. Some 55,000 motorists had their automobiles booted to generate $5.5 million. Red light cameras trapped 300,000 motorists who entered an intersection a split-second after the light turned red, brightening the city budget by $20 million. An extra 20 automated ticketing locations will boost the camera haul to $37.5 million a year by 2008.
The city also plans to massively expand the number of parking and towing citations by sending out twenty-six license plate scanning vans that will record the identity and location of vehicles throughout the city. Other cities have used the technique to generate millions in revenue by towing cars listed in a computer database as having as little as $85 in unpaid parking tickets or a few overdue library books.
But...I think that you have the idea. To borrow a line from "Spooky" Mulder "The truth is out there!" You just have to want to find it. The cameras are for profit. This fact is the only thing that you can prove. If you are interested in finding out more, here are some resources for you:
But...I think that you have the idea. To borrow a line from "Spooky" Mulder "The truth is out there!" You just have to want to find it. The cameras are for profit. This fact is the only thing that you can prove. If you are interested in finding out more, here are some resources for you:
-- Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.
I recently built a website called SpeedSUV.com, which reports the SF Mobile Photo Enforcement SUV's location via scheduled text and email messages accompanied by an online map.
I built the site because, the city has not been following the guidelines set forth in the STOP ordinance.
According to the CITY OF SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO ORDINANCE NO. 2009-28, Section 24-4.6 ADMINISTRATION:
"The city shall install advance signal warnings as required by Section 66-7-103.1 NMSA 1978."
And Under NMSA 1978, Section 66-7-103.1:
The city shall provide for all traffic enforcement camera devices: "a warning sign or signs supplemented by a warning beacon or rumble strips."
Thus far I have been photographing the SUV on a weekly basis with nothing but a little sign in front of it... no beacon or rubble strip present. However, after calling Capt. Robin over the last two months with no response, I called the Chiefs office with this dilemma. Also, the city manager has not establish a STOP ombudsman to address and resolve citizen grievances with STOP procedures and technical issues regarding automated enforcement technology.
I have even photographed the speed SUV with no sign at all. Also, 90% of the time I photograph the SUV it is hidden behind a fence or bush or something.
I think the city is operating the Speed SUV as a revenue generator versus a life saving device (which is antithesis to the reason the city legislated photo enforcement in the first place, "TO SAVE LIVES").
A small change in signal timing can have a great effect on the number of tickets issued. About four out of every five red light camera citations are issued before even a second has elapsed after the light changed to red, according to a report by the California State Auditor. This suggests that most citations are issued to those surprised by a quick-changing signal light. Confidential documents obtained in a 2001 court trial proved that the city of San Diego, California and its red light camera vendor, now ACS, only installed red light cameras at intersections with high volumes and "Amber (yellow) phase less than 4 seconds."
Source: Investigation: Red Light Camera Red Alert (KDFW-TV (TX), 11/13/2007)
Wow! 4 out of every 5 California red-light camera tickets issued (80%) are for violations where not even a second has elapsed after the light has turned red?
That's a telling statistic....And the editors of USATODAY said those who argued against red-ilght camera enforcement were just a bunch of "petulant drivers".
Perhaps, when events beyond your control preclude you from exiting the intersection in a timely manner, and the light is turning from yellow to red, the least-expensive alternative to a red-light camera ticket is to put the car in park, raise the hood, and wait for a tow truck to tow you from the intersection.
You might be considered "petulant", but you wouldn't be a red-light runner and you wouldn't have a $400 ticket to pay...
And the story will goes as this all the time. You can spend all your life to look for those cheating officials but nothing ever changes. All you will hear is "we will look into it" and after that is business as usual.
But saddest thing is that always there are people who will dismiss those illegalities as just bitching. After all it is all "for children" or "grater good" or safety" or any other "reason". And this attitude is what make this sort of behavior from officials possible.
Dallas, Texas Cameras Bank on Short Yellow Times
The top money-producing red light cameras in Dallas, Texas use short yellow warning times.
A local news investigation has found that the city of Dallas, Texas depends upon short yellow timing to maximize red light camera profit. Of the ten cameras that issue the greatest number of tickets in the city, seven are located at intersections where the yellow duration is shorter than the bare minimum recommended by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), KDFW-TV found.
The city's second highest revenue producing camera, for example, is located at the intersection of Greenville Avenue and Mockingbird Lane. It issued 9407 tickets worth $705,525 between January 1 and August 31, 2007. At the intersections on Greenville Avenue leadding up to the camera intersection, however, yellows are at least 3.5 or 4.0 seconds in duration, but the ticket producing intersection's yellow stands at just 3.15 seconds. The yellow is .35 seconds shorter than TxDOT's recommended bare minimum.
"For 30 miles per hour, if your yellow time was less than three and a half, you would not be giving that driver enough time to react and brake and stop prior to getting to the intersection," TxDOT Dallas District office transportation engineer supervisor Chris Blain told KDFW.
A small change in signal timing can have a great effect on the number of tickets issued. About four out of every five red light camera citations are issued before even a second has elapsed after the light changed to red, according to a report by the California State Auditor. This suggests that most citations are issued to those surprised by a quick-changing signal light. Confidential documents obtained in a 2001 court trial proved that the city of San Diego, California and its red light camera vendor, now ACS, only installed red light cameras at intersections with high volumes and "Amber (yellow) phase less than 4 seconds."
Dallas likewise installed the cameras at locations with existing short yellow times. A total of twenty-one camera intersections in Dallas have yellow times below TxDOT's bare minimum recommended amount. The Texas Transportation Institute study also found that shorter yellows generate a 110 percent jump in the number of tickets, but at the cost of safety. Increasing the yellow one second above the recommended minimum cut crashes by 40 percent.
Since the Dallas intersection ticketing program launched last December, it has issued $13.5 million worth of automated citations from sixty camera locations. Beginning in September, however, Texas cities must split camera ticket profit with the state. To make up for lost revenue, Dallas plans to install forty more cameras.
Source: Investigation: Red Light Camera Red Alert (KDFW-TV (TX), 11/13/2007)
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=49...
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Time for a Class action
I think it is time for a class action Suit against that City...I would think you could easily win that one...and make them take out the Cameras..and increase the Yellow time.
Dave_ Nuvi 660 , 760,1490LMT Wooster, Ohio
Not quite yet
I think it is time for a class action Suit against that City...I would think you could easily win that one...and make them take out the Cameras..and increase the Yellow time.
Have you noticed the "Recommends" in the passage. When they recommend you do something, it doesn't mean you have to.
Rodney.. oditius.htc@gmail.com BMW Zumo 550 HTC Touch Pro - Garmin XT
Site the Safety factor
I am sure a good lawyer could site the safety factor of the statistics of the longer yellow..and any good Jury will see that they are just cheating people..and not doing for the safety.
Dave_ Nuvi 660 , 760,1490LMT Wooster, Ohio
Missouri: Car Ticketed for Running a Yellow Light
A red light camera in Arnold, Missouri tickets a man for running a light simultaneously yellow and red.
Crawford ticket imageA red light camera in Arnold, Missouri ticketed a man faced with both a yellow and a red light simultaneously. Motorist Mike Crawford saw the yellow light at the intersection of 141 and Astra Way at 1:40pm on July 4 and proceeded through in safety. Weeks later, he received a citation in the mail demanding $94.50. In challenging the ticket, Crawford noticed the photograph showed both yellow and red lights illuminated. While an administrative hearing officer dismissed the violation, Crawford remained upset by the process because he was put in the position of proving himself innocent.
"We're innocent until proven guilty and that (red light camera) ordinance violates that," Crawford told KSDK television in an interview. "You're guilty by the virtue of the fact that you own the vehicle that has gone through the red light and you have to prove that someone else was driving the vehicle."
Crawford's citation was likely caused by a combination of factors. First, Arnold's red light camera program is set to trigger citations a split-second after the light turned red. In this case, the trigger is set to so short a time, likely one-tenth of a second, that the signal shown on the left of the photo changed from yellow to red before the signal seen on the right did so.
The Arnold ticket was no fluke. The highwayrobbery.net website has documented a number of similar simultaneous red and yellow tickets in California and traced the cause to a second factor -- the difference in speed between an LED bulb and a slightly slower incandescent bulb. If one signal head uses an LED and another an incandescent bulb, tickets can issue in cases equivalent to running a "red" light in the amount of time it takes for a light to appear after flipping a switch -- an amount so small that it is not detected by the human eye.
According to a report by the California State Auditor, about four out of every five red light camera citations in the state were issued for split-second violations. Shorter trigger settings or "grace periods" allow jurisdictions to collect more revenue because the greatest number of technical violations occur within the first 0.25 seconds after a light turns red, according to a Texas Transportation Institute study. Ticketing such violations has little impact on safety as the same study showed the probability of a right-angle collision within a split-second after a signal changes from yellow to red is almost zero at an intersection with a protected left turn lane. "Given a 1.0-second all-red interval, the probabilities also suggest that crossing through vehicles will not start to enter until after about 4 seconds have lapsed," the Texas study explained (page 99).
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/20/2024.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
California: Red Light Camera Goes Wild
More than half of the citations generated by a Capitola, California red light camera are bogus.
Capitola MallA red light camera in Capitola, California is generating $381 tickets for motorists who did nothing wrong. The out-of-control camera is located at 41st Avenue and Clares Street and was designed to ticket motorists headed to the Capitola Mall. Now between 50 and 60 percent of the tickets it generates are bogus.
"It's going nuts," Capitola Police Chief Richard Ehle told the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper.
In addition to other problems, the camera is generating tickets for shoppers making legal right turns on red and ticketing motorists who roll forward before the light turns green. Capitola police claim they are "catching" the tickets before they are mailed by ATS, the vendor in charge of the camera program.
Last year, the Santa Cruz Superior Court brought Capitola's review process into question. Police failed to notice that red light camera vendor ATS issueed $9525 worth of duplicate citations to be issued.
"With a new program there's a lot of trial and error," Capitola Police Chief Richard Ehle told the Sentinel at the time.
In the meantime, motorists are cutting through nearby parking lots to avoid the haywire ticket camera. Mall workers fear being forced to go to court to defend themselves against a bogus ticket. Police promise to drop charges against anyone wrongly cited.
Source: Rogue red light camera worries drivers (Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA), 12/11/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/21/2118.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
New Mexico: 1300 Bogus Speed Camera Tickets Issued
Former high-ranking Albuquerque, New Mexico police officer files lawsuit against inaccurate speed camera citations.
Sonny LeeperA former police captain is suing Albuquerque, New Mexico to force the city to refund speed camera citations that were improperly issued. When three of the city's television stations brought cameras to the administrative hearing where Sonny Leeper was to defend himself, the retired captain was quickly found not guilty of speeding.
Leeper, who left the Albuquerque Police Department last year, had been accused of driving 42 MPH in a 40 MPH construction zone. The camera, however, had been set to ticket people exceeding 30 MPH, even though there was no 30 MPH sign posted. Leeper has teamed up with several other defendants and attorney Paul Livingston to demand refunds for up to 1300 motorists wrongly accused. The city admitted that "hundreds" have already had fines canceled after asking, but Leeper worries about the rest.
"They just send in their $100 to $150 fine," Leeper told KOB-TV. "Are those people being notified? Are they getting a refund for this mistake?"
The city insists refunds will only be given to those who take a day off to come to an administrative hearing.
Source: Former officer challenges camera program (KOB-TV (NM), 12/1/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/20/2098.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
New Mexico: 1300 Bogus Speed Camera Tickets Issued
Former high-ranking Albuquerque, New Mexico police officer files lawsuit against inaccurate speed camera citations.
Sonny LeeperA former police captain is suing Albuquerque, New Mexico to force the city to refund speed camera citations that were improperly issued. When three of the city's television stations brought cameras to the administrative hearing where Sonny Leeper was to defend himself, the retired captain was quickly found not guilty of speeding.
Leeper, who left the Albuquerque Police Department last year, had been accused of driving 42 MPH in a 40 MPH construction zone. The camera, however, had been set to ticket people exceeding 30 MPH, even though there was no 30 MPH sign posted. Leeper has teamed up with several other defendants and attorney Paul Livingston to demand refunds for up to 1300 motorists wrongly accused. The city admitted that "hundreds" have already had fines canceled after asking, but Leeper worries about the rest.
"They just send in their $100 to $150 fine," Leeper told KOB-TV. "Are those people being notified? Are they getting a refund for this mistake?"
The city insists refunds will only be given to those who take a day off to come to an administrative hearing.
Source: Former officer challenges camera program (KOB-TV (NM), 12/1/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/20/2098.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Colorado: Gardening Truck Accused of Speeding 102 MPH Over Limit
Fort Collins, Colorado photo radar unit accuses a landscaping truck of driving an impossible speed.
GM pickupA speed camera in Fort Collins, Colorado accused a truck belonging to Earthpower Landscaping of barreling down a local road at 132 MPH. According to citation records placed online by the Coloradoan newspaper, a ticket camera photographed a GM pickup truck at 4:07pm on May 9 and accused it of violating the 30 MPH speed limit at 1400 West Vine by 102 MPH. Such speeds are unlikely in a commercial work vehicle. Even one of GM's most powerful trucks, the $45,000 GMC Sierra Denali, is limited to a top speed of just 99 MPH.
The city did not pursue the $300 ticket and six license demerit points against the truck's owner. Fort Collins Police Sergeant Mike Trombley told the Coloradoan that it was probably an error, but he refused to say how many more innocent motorists were wrongly accused. In the past twenty months, the system has issued more than $540,000 worth of tickets with Redflex, the Australian company that operates the program, pocketing $181,000.
Source: Citys photo-radar system keeps speeders in check (The Coloradoan, 8/26/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/19/1936.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Texas: Innocent Man Faces Uphill Battle Against Camera Ticket
A victim of an undeserved red light camera ticket has little recourse under the current law in North Richland Hills, Texas.
Archie WrightAn innocent man is fighting an uphill battle to clear his name after a red light camera in Richland Hills, Texas accused him of a violation he did not commit. According to the $75 ticket Archie Wright received, his 1997 Pontiac Grand Am blew through the light at Booth Calloway Road and Glenview Drive. This was not possible. Wright sold that three months ago. Nonetheless, he is still struggling to clear his name.
"To me it's like a bunch of nerds have taken over law enforcement," Wright told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper. "These red-light cameras are popping up all over the place. I think people should be aware of just what a hassle it can be to fight one of these things."
Under the city's current ordinance, a photo ticket will only be dropped if the recipient names someone who is willing pay the fine. In this case, Wright does not remember who bought the vehicle or even whether that individual was the one driving at the time of the incident. Wright does not think he should become an unpaid private investigator for the city tracking down the culprit. Wright called Redflex, the Australian vendor Redflex that operates the system for the city. Wright was essentially told that he had to pay up.
Starting in September, Texas residents falsely accused by red light cameras will have the option of appealing any decision by a city-paid "hearing officer" to a jury.
Source: A cautionary tale of cameras and cars (Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX), 7/31/2007)
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
NM: Red Light Camera Caught Ticketing the Innocent
An Albuquerque, New Mexico red light camera is ticketing motorists turning right on red even when they have a green arrow.
Gary Williams, KOATA television news employee who received a red light camera ticket in Albuquerque, New Mexico proved the device has been wrongly ticketing motorists who did not actually run red lights. Gary Williams, who works at KOAT-TV, drove his white Ford pickup through a red light without stopping at the intersection of Carlisle and Montgomery. According to the indisputable photographic proof on the citation, the light appeared red for 9.26 seconds when Williams entered the intersection while making a right-hand turn. The city demanded $100.
Williams did not believe it, and he had the equipment needed to verify the city's claim. After videotaping the intersection, he discovered that the photograph on the ticket did not tell the whole story. Yes, the light was red, but drivers at the intersection have a green arrow permitting right-hand turns without stopping for 14 seconds after the light turns red. A 3-second yellow arrow brings the total allowable turning time to 17 seconds.
Williams presented the evidence to a city hearing officer who quickly dismissed the citation. Police claimed they would look into the matter.
"If I was wrongly accused, then what does this say for everybody else?" Williams asked, in his interview with KOAT last month.
"It would be interesting to see how many innocent people paid the $100 to $300 fine and never fought the ticket," Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano wrote. "Also how would the average citizen fight the ticket? As the newscast shows, the evidence photo only shows the vehicle supposedly running the red light. The evidence is deceiving and would have held up to the 'yes or no,' 'no room for argument' hearing provided on these cases."
A videoclip of the KOAT-TV report from YouTube is available at the source link below.
Source: Red Light Camera Flaw - YouTube video (KOAT-TV (NM), 5/30/2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fC-_J2yCU8
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Tennessee: Red Light Camera Mistakes Pickup Truck for BMW
A red light camera accuses a Knoxville, Tennessee motorist of running a red light in a pickup truck she has never seen before.
Knoxville ticketA red light camera in Knoxville, Tennessee claimed a white Toyota pickup truck photographed running a red light was actually a silver BMW convertible. Knoxville motorist Tamara K, who runs the View from the Porch blog, received the $50 ticket that insisted her Z3 convertible had been seen running a light on May 22 at 8:17pm.
A closer look at the photo showed the optical character recognition software used by the Australian red light camera operator Redflex had mistaken the number "2" on the pickup truck's license plate for the "3" that appears on the BMW's plate. Knoxville police insist that each violation is carefully scrutinized by two human beings: Once by the camera vendor that issues citations for a cut of the profit, and a second time by a sworn Knoxville police officer. Neither noticed that the description of a "BMW convertible" on the citation in no way matched the Toyota Tacoma shown in the photo.
"But instead of some public servant reading this and calling me on the phone with a 'Whoops! We screwed up! Sorry!' I will have to go downtown and perform my obeisances in an orgy of forelock tugging, curtsying, and groveling, and beg my betters to please let me go about my business unmolested," Tamara wrote.
Source: Red Light Camera, Part Deux (View From The Porch, 6/4/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/17/1791.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Chicago Red Light Camera Tickets Innocent Columnist
A Chicago, Illinois motorist fights a bogus red light camera ticket by writing a newspaper column about it.
Arlene JonesA red light camera issued a violation to an innocent motorist in Chicago, Illinois last week. Unlike most recipients of such tickets who must either take time off of work to dispute citations or just give up and pay them, Arlene Jones decided to fight back. A regular column in her community's newspaper, the Austin Weekly News, offered her a platform to expose the city's practices.
"I was going through my mail the other day when a return address caught my attention. City of Chicago -- Department of Revenue," Jones wrote yesterday. "Red Light Violation! The infamous red light violation taken by the cameras when you run a red light. The camera that the city says 'doesn't lie.'"
The enclosed $90 citation accused her of running a red light at the intersection of Narragansett and Irving Park at 6:49am. One of the ticket's photos showed her truck stopped behind the crosswalk. Another showed an empty intersection. The final photo showed a close up of her license plate. Jones never ran the light.
From past experience with questionable parking tickets, Jones knew that contesting by mail would result in late fees and excuses from the city. She signed up to have a city hearing officer hear her evidence in person the case at the end of June.
"I am going to ask the city to reimburse me for my time and travel expenses to fight their phony ticket," Jones wrote. "I think $90 is a fair amount."
Source: Red light violation? Fight it! (Austin Weekly News (IL), 6/6/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/17/1794.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Man Found Innocent Still Gets Red Light Camera Collection Notice
Texas: Man Found Innocent Still Gets Red Light Camera Collection Notices
A motorist declared innocent of a red light camera violation still gets collection notices from Houston, Texas.
Ken BraunsteinA man found "not liable" for a red light camera ticket is still being asked to pay money to Houston, Texas. On February 4, a red SUV with a license plate ending in the letters "PPM" was photographed entering an intersection after the signal light turned red. Weeks later, Houston resident Ken Braunstein, the owner of a white Honda Accord coupe with plates ending in "PPN," received a ticket in the mail bearing a photograph of the red SUV.
"This is not my fault," Braunstein told KPRC-TV. "Someone made a mistake."
Braunstein was forced to take time off work to prove his own innocence. He was found "not liable" in an official hearing, but he is still getting harassing collection notices from the city.
Houston Police Sergeant Michael Muench told KPRC that the red light camera program produced "high-quality" citations with a "99 percent" accuracy rate. With 64,000 tickets issued so far, that means at least 640 individuals have been falsely accused, according to Muench's figure.
So far, only 150 have gone to the trouble and expense of challenging the $75 citations.
Source: Local 2 Investigates Red-Light Camera Mistakes (KPRC-TV (TX), 5/5/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/17/1752.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Texas: Man Wrongly Accused by Red Light Camera
A Dallas, Texas red light camera accuses the owner of a white car of committing an offense in a black sedan.
Acura 3.2 TLA Texas resident is fighting a photo ticket he received for an offense he did not commit. Last month, a Dallas red light camera accused Richard Gregory of running a red light in a black Acura 3.2 TL at 7:15 in the morning. At the time, Gregory was at his home in League City, located outside of Houston, 265 miles away from Dallas.
Gregory drives a white Chrysler and does not own an Acura, contrary to what is stated on the ticket. The photograph of the license plate on the citation showed the computer misread an "N" for an "M" in his license plate. In attempting to correct the error, Gregory lost respect for the automated enforcement system he once supported.
"I can't find out anything," Gregory told the Galveston County Daily News. "The response form doesn't even allow me to say that isn't my car."
So he called the city of Dallas which, instead of dropping the obviously erroneous citation, told him that he had to drive 530 miles round-trip and prove in court that he never owned the Acura.
"How do you prove you've never owned something?" Gregory asked the Daily News. "It's not as if I had it and sold it."
Source: Man says traffic camera falsely accused him (Galveston County Daily News (TX), 4/15/2007)
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Ohio Red Light Cameras Tickets Innocent Motorists
A ticket camera in in Cleveland, Ohio are charged two motorists with offenses that they did not commit.
The wrong carA number of motorists in Cleveland, Ohio have caught the city's red light and speed cameras issuing bogus tickets. WEWS-TV cameraman Dave Hatala received a $100 ticket in the mail for, the notice claimed, driving 48 MPH in a 35 zone on Chester Avenue near 71st Street last July. Hatala was certain he had not been speeding.
In examining the photos, Hatala realized it was obvious that a vehicle in an adjacent lane was traveling faster than he was. WEWS reporter Duane Pohlman had Case Western University mathematics professor Chris Butler analyze the photographic evidence. He calculated that the camera had overestimated Hatala's speed by 8 MPH and, in fact, that the other car was the one doing 48 MPH.
The same camera accused Massillon residents Bill and Sue Faber of running a red light -- something they could not have done since they had not been in the city for six months. The red light camera photograph shows a Dodge sedan with an unclear license plate. That plate number listed on the ticket matches the one on Bill Faber's truck. Faber believes the city could not read the plate in the photo and just guessed what it might be.
"I always thought we were always innocent until proven guilty and now I find it's guilty until I can prove I'm innocent," Faber told WEWS.
WEWS reporter Duane Pohlman spent six months investigating the city's camera system and found the city stonewalled requests for documents related to its public safety program. The city issued more than 58,000 tickets last year generating $5.8 million in revenue.
Source: Motorists Prove Red-Light Cameras Dont Work (WEWS-TV (OH), 2/1/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/15/1587.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Chicago Alderman Admits Cameras are for Revenue
A high-ranking Chicago alderman admits the system was installed to generate millions in revenue.
Ed BurkeA high-ranking member of the Chicago, Illinois city council admitted yesterday that the city intended its red light camera program -- which has raised $35.1 million -- to be a revenue raiser. Council Finance Committee Chairman Ed Burke, 62, spoke to reporters about his plan to ban GPS navigation devices that warn motorists of nearby speed and red light cameras. During the event, reporters quizzed Burke about whether revenue was the reason for the cameras.
"Of course it is," Burke said, as reported in the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper. "It's budgeted in our annual appropriation ordinance. That's why all of these cameras are being installed. You can't deny the reality. The reality is people blow through these intersections and they're going to be caught and they're going to be fined... It has become a big revenue source, absolutely."
While stand-alone GPS camera detecting devices are not commonly used in the US, they are extensively used in the UK. Some automakers even offer GPS detection devices as a factory option in the European market. According to an insurance survey completed earlier this year, the devices work. After looking at one million miles of travel in corporate fleet vehicles, researchers found users of camera detectors were involved in 50 percent fewer accidents.
Source: Alderman wants to ban camera-sensing devices (Chicago Sun-Times, 6/21/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/18/1820.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Illinois: Motorist Ticketing Balances Chicago Budget
Car seizures and traffic tickets provide $210 million in annual revenue to Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago police. Photo: Diana Connolly/FlickrChicago, Illinois is dependent on traffic tickets, parking citations and automobile seizures for balancing the city budget. A combination of $90 red light camera tickets, $160 towing fees and various forms of speeding and parking tickets generated $210 million in 2006 -- just enough to cover the city's budget deficit, which is projected to grow to $217 million next year.
"Mussolini would be proud of Chicago's parking system," towing victim David Gorodess, 35, told the Chicago Tribune. "Even when you are parking legally, you just can't park downtown. Somebody is making a lot of money."
Gorodess had his car towed in a zone where parking was prohibited from 4pm to 6pm. Gorodess was not parked in the spot during that time. By offering the wrongly ticketed very little recourse, the city collected $160.3 million last year in parking violations alone. Speeding tickets generated an additional $4.4 million. Some 55,000 motorists had their automobiles booted to generate $5.5 million. Red light cameras trapped 300,000 motorists who entered an intersection a split-second after the light turned red, brightening the city budget by $20 million. An extra 20 automated ticketing locations will boost the camera haul to $37.5 million a year by 2008.
The city also plans to massively expand the number of parking and towing citations by sending out twenty-six license plate scanning vans that will record the identity and location of vehicles throughout the city. Other cities have used the technique to generate millions in revenue by towing cars listed in a computer database as having as little as $85 in unpaid parking tickets or a few overdue library books.
Source: City rakes in revenue from tickets (Chicago Tribune, 8/11/2007)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/19/1910.asp
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
I could go on....
But...I think that you have the idea. To borrow a line from "Spooky" Mulder "The truth is out there!" You just have to want to find it. The cameras are for profit. This fact is the only thing that you can prove. If you are interested in finding out more, here are some resources for you:
The Studies (INDEPENDENT studies)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/related.asp?page=7&T=0&S=16&...
And of course the site where I have found these articles: http://www.thenewspaper.com/
And if you really want to know the inside scoop of the cameras, this is a really deep article from Wash'DC's Weekly Standard in 2002:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/00...
Then of course, if you need a defense, you can always go here: http://www.shinyplate.com
For all of you who still believe that the cameras are for your safety, then best of luck to you.
I knew I shoulda made a left turn at Albuquerque! -- Bugs Bunny
Cleveland Lawyer
But...I think that you have the idea. To borrow a line from "Spooky" Mulder "The truth is out there!" You just have to want to find it. The cameras are for profit. This fact is the only thing that you can prove. If you are interested in finding out more, here are some resources for you:
The Studies (INDEPENDENT studies)
http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/related.asp?page=7&T=0&S=16&...
And of course the site where I have found these articles: http://www.thenewspaper.com/
And if you really want to know the inside scoop of the cameras, this is a really deep article from Wash'DC's Weekly Standard in 2002:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/00...
Then of course, if you need a defense, you can always go here: http://www.shinyplate.com
For all of you who still believe that the cameras are for your safety, then best of luck to you.
http://mfile.akamai.com/12938/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2009/0220/18...
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.
Santa Fe Speed SUV
I recently built a website called SpeedSUV.com, which reports the SF Mobile Photo Enforcement SUV's location via scheduled text and email messages accompanied by an online map.
I built the site because, the city has not been following the guidelines set forth in the STOP ordinance.
According to the CITY OF SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO ORDINANCE NO. 2009-28, Section 24-4.6 ADMINISTRATION:
"The city shall install advance signal warnings as required by Section 66-7-103.1 NMSA 1978."
And Under NMSA 1978, Section 66-7-103.1:
The city shall provide for all traffic enforcement camera devices: "a warning sign or signs supplemented by a warning beacon or rumble strips."
Thus far I have been photographing the SUV on a weekly basis with nothing but a little sign in front of it... no beacon or rubble strip present. However, after calling Capt. Robin over the last two months with no response, I called the Chiefs office with this dilemma. Also, the city manager has not establish a STOP ombudsman to address and resolve citizen grievances with STOP procedures and technical issues regarding automated enforcement technology.
I have even photographed the speed SUV with no sign at all. Also, 90% of the time I photograph the SUV it is hidden behind a fence or bush or something.
I think the city is operating the Speed SUV as a revenue generator versus a life saving device (which is antithesis to the reason the city legislated photo enforcement in the first place, "TO SAVE LIVES").
Gotcha
A small change in signal timing can have a great effect on the number of tickets issued. About four out of every five red light camera citations are issued before even a second has elapsed after the light changed to red, according to a report by the California State Auditor. This suggests that most citations are issued to those surprised by a quick-changing signal light. Confidential documents obtained in a 2001 court trial proved that the city of San Diego, California and its red light camera vendor, now ACS, only installed red light cameras at intersections with high volumes and "Amber (yellow) phase less than 4 seconds."
Source: Investigation: Red Light Camera Red Alert (KDFW-TV (TX), 11/13/2007)
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4912839&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
Wow! 4 out of every 5 California red-light camera tickets issued (80%) are for violations where not even a second has elapsed after the light has turned red?
That's a telling statistic....And the editors of USATODAY said those who argued against red-ilght camera enforcement were just a bunch of "petulant drivers".
Perhaps, when events beyond your control preclude you from exiting the intersection in a timely manner, and the light is turning from yellow to red, the least-expensive alternative to a red-light camera ticket is to put the car in park, raise the hood, and wait for a tow truck to tow you from the intersection.
You might be considered "petulant", but you wouldn't be a red-light runner and you wouldn't have a $400 ticket to pay...
And the story goes...
And the story will goes as this all the time. You can spend all your life to look for those cheating officials but nothing ever changes. All you will hear is "we will look into it" and after that is business as usual.
But saddest thing is that always there are people who will dismiss those illegalities as just bitching. After all it is all "for children" or "grater good" or safety" or any other "reason". And this attitude is what make this sort of behavior from officials possible.