I find it hard to believe that bureaucrats and solons would voluntarily give up revenue "enhancements".
I’ve heard of studies which show that rear end collisions at intersections with red light cameras increase. People are afraid of getting stuck in the intersection, so they slam on the brakes when the light turns yellow, and get hit from behind. They avoid a ticket but get in an accident. Of course we could say that the person behind was following too closely.
I think cameras should not be used to give tickets. They should only be used if there is an accident, to assign fault, etc. But otherwise cameras just are there to raise money without having to have an actual police office giving out an actual ticket.
In some places in CO, they tend to shorten the length of the yellow light so that you DO get caught in the red light. Rather than a 6 second yellow, they adjust it to a 4 second yellow. It’s dangerous to have that shortened caution light, but it does increase the states revenue.
Good luck Senator Refroe - you’ll need it.
I think red-light cameras should be banned nationwide.
Everywhere.
The problem with longer yellow lights, is that more drivers figure they can make it through before it turns red. With the shorter lights, drivers soon learn that a yellow light means stop.
Every city seems to have its own distinct driving culture. Around here (Victoria, BC) traffic is sloooow in the city core — except when the light turns yellow. Then there’s a drag race to make it through, before the red light. The (unwritten) “rule” is “if you can get within 10 feet of the crosswalk before the red light, you’re good to go”. If you try to stop (rather than flooring it) as soon as the light turns yellow, the guy behind you will honk (if he hasn’t actually plowed into you). In Vancouver, it’s just about the opposite. Traffic is significantly faster; but, drivers throw out the anchor as soon as the light turns yellow. If they don’t, the light jumpers coming from the other direction are likely to T-bone them.
This 17th Amendment test will be interesting to watch. Will “lawmakers” vote down such debt/revenue tools, or will they further thumb their noses at tourists? So far, it’s one of the states regulating most against property rights and productive businesses, increasing gun control measures, snagging interstate traffic and diverting it to out-of-the-way parts of the state (fuel, restaurants, convenience stores, etc.) and so on.
Probably taking away too much money rom the citizen’s weed purchases and they make taxes off that.
In the land of legal pot? Dream on...
If the politicians, they are the ones who approve red-light cameras, really wanted to make intersections and roadways safer the simple solution is increase the yellow light timing...
Red light cameras have one and only one purpose: increase revenue.
In Tampa they just rejected the contract with the red light contractor and a week later reversed themselves...
There is a red light camera at the first intersection I hit when going to work...a side road and a 4 lane county road. I hear the camera click and flash every time I stop...
The traffic on the 4 lane road is too heavy for anyone to run a red light about 80 % of the time...
Amazingly the cross road is one of the few roads that people who live in a very high end part of town, who will simply just pay the ticket than protest it...
I guarantee not one life has been saved by the red light camera at that intersection...probably caused a few rear end accidents though..