Cameras accuse 2,600 of speeding (Orwellian Move by Democrat City Council and Mayor in Akron, OH)

Akron Beacon Journal ^ | 12/06/05 | John Higgins

[z3n]

Shucks. Just cancelled my vacation plans to Akron.

That's the point, really. No one vacations in Akron anyway, and if they did, they more than likely wouldn't travel through very many school zones.

The cameras stop day to day speeders.

[z3n]

" If what you say is true, then the camera systems have a calibration problem. "

That's exactly why you calibrate them for a safety margin so high. If they are calibrated for 8mph over, then you need a statistically extreme margin of error to mistakenly catch someone who really is not speeding.

[mysterio]

These cameras will keep popping up everywhere until the citizenry makes it more expensive to maintain the cameras than the amount of revenue coming in. Can't imagine it would be too hard to render the cameras ineffective. People have to draw the line somewhere.

[RockinRight]

Hey! It's not a hot vacation spot, but Akron's not such a bad town.

[RockinRight]

I guess there's a company selling this clear spray-on paint that keeps the license plate visible to the eye but invisible to the camera.

They mentioned it on WHLO this morning.

[Atlas Sneezed]

It may be the third rail of traffic politics to say it, but:

School zone speed limits are generally ridiculous. Most kids can be taught by a certain age how to deal with traffic, and the rest can be kept safely inside fenced playgrounds.

Drive past a middle school when they let out, and it is clear that the kids must be receiving propaganda that the pedestrian is king, vehicles are evil, and there are no rules for pedestrian safety.

[mysterio]

They sell spray paint everywhere that will permanently ruin the camera in those things, too.

[Atlas Sneezed]

We have those all over Saint Paul, MN. They're actually pretty cool. Drivers slow down dramatically when they see the speed they're going.

---

And soldiers slow down when they see signs that say "minefield." Slower and distracted is not necessarily safer than faster and undistracted.

If safety is the concern, then one could gather data to prove that these distractions generate sustained safety improvements. But since they are merely government speed propaganda machines that give no information not already available to drivers, you can bet they provide no safety benefit.

[add925]

Its pretty cool in the summer....excellent distination for the golphers at the Firestone course.

The canal road was alot of fun on the motorcycle this year. Also liked the car shows at the Stan Hywet (sp?).

[12B]

I'm all in favor of the cameras. They are very prevalent here in Germany and we have often called the Polizei to request they put up traps near where kids are playing/biking etc. Frankly we sometimes have to get about twenty parents to call to get the things set up.

That being said, the article seems to indicate that the traffic laws in question are either not clear or not clearly posted. Also, 25 mph in a 20 mph zone is overkill.

Anyhoo, I'm all for these speedtraps, flame away.

[Smokin' Joe]

``This is going to make us all cognizant of what we need to do.''

Get spray paint, sneak up behind....

Seriously, this is not about getting people to slow down, it is about money. The town of Amidon, North Dakota had a retired police car, parked in full view, with a cardboard profile of an officer inside. THAT got people to slow down, no tickets needed.

Moneypenny, a Springfield Township police captain, said he will suggest that the city use the ticket money to buy digital message boards that tell drivers how fast they are going.

You just can't make this stuff up!

[mewzilla]

Don't like it? Don't speed :)

[RockinRight]

Are you from Akron? I see your profile has an Ohio flag.

[dljordan]

"A baseball bat at the back of the tripod mounted camera would slow it down I bet."

Those were my exact thoughts.

[RockinRight]

Yup, that's his real name! There are a lot of Moneypennys in this area, actually.

[Atlas Sneezed]

So slow the hell down!

---

As a libertarian you might need to consider the factual justification for governmental restrictions. Speed limits, for instance. We have been faced with "speed kills" propaganda our entire lives, yet can we trust it?

How do we determine the truth? We'll fortunately, there is a geeky bunch know as "traffic safety engineers." These guys collect data, and analyze it in ways that are pretty much irrefutable. They are so trusted that the government even implements their principles into law. A state can't get federal highway funds without implementing the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices).

And what do those engineers say? "If you want the safest possible roads, set speed limits to the level at which 85% of motorists will naturally comply, raised to the next 5 mph, and use 5 mph leeway for enforcement. Unless there is some hazards that can not be seen or warned of."

See above for my thoughts on school zones in particular, but "slow down" is not very good safety advice. Moreover, if limits were set with sense in other areas, they would then be seen as very good advice worth taking, and school zone limits (in the rare cases they are justified) would be more respected.

[CBF]

Since when did pissing people off have any affect on the laws and idicts of the government. It's gone beyond discussion, we are a controlled populace, moving at will only where allowed.

[q_an_a]

I hope they put up more cameras to stop people breaking the law. If technology in computers can make office people more productive then cameras can make law enforcement more productive. It is not too much to ask stupid people to stop at red lights or slow down in ALL School Zones. Why would conservatives want people who beak the law to go free?? /flame away

[z3n]

"Hey! It's not a hot vacation spot, but Akron's not such a bad town."

No, not at all. And if cleveland doesn't SERIOUSLY reform this affairs, in 25 years, Akron could well be the genuine political and economic epicenter of N.E.Ohio.

[add925]

N. Summit, Twinsburg