Posted on 01/23/2006 11:10:33 AM PST by Ben Mugged
Photo radar enforcement on the Loop 101 is underway with the start of this workweek.
In the first 24 hours since the cameras started snapping photos of drivers going 76 miles per hour and faster, there were more than 2,000 flashes along the freeway.
Warnings will be going out to drivers for the next 30 days. Tickets will start being sent to speeders starting at the end of February.
Scottsdale is believed to have the first digital speed enforcement in effect in the nation. If this nine-month test is successful, the city's photo radar system could become a model for the entire country.
(Excerpt) Read more at kpho.com ...
What they need to do is have cops look for the worst speeders. These are the folks who tend to weave around traffic and tailgate. Going 15 mph over an average speed of 70 is more dangerous than somone going 55. But both cause flow disruptions. The best thing to do is try and encourage a smooth, steady flow of traffic at a consisent speed safe for a given highway's design and load.
For one thing, the video tape of the killings won't be the only evidence in that crime. Here, the picture would be. But, yes, the video itself isn't self authenticating, and would require testimony. Besides, the video has inherent chain of custody and is analog rather than digital in origin. There will be multiple people testifying to the tape -- the police officer, the video tech, etc.
The City isn't going to bring in the picture tech in all disputed cases. If they do, he won't have time to be a tech.
That's the main reason why I won't get one of those. I'm just waiting for some deranged legislator to decide to retroactively issue speeding tickets from the calculated speed off of EZ-Pass.
It won't be long before you can't use the toll roads without one, and then all roads will become toll roads.
In Mass, when they started using this, they quickly shut down most of the laanes where you could pay cash, so most people quickly went for the transponders.
I'll wait. It adds all of two minutes to my commute on a typical day.
Generally, yes. And sudden speed changes (such as in a response to a speeding camera flashing) are the most dangerous.
The part of the 101 being monitored is notorious for being a spot of high variation in traffic flow speed. It seems that making it unpleasant for drivers to allow themselves to make such a large upper variation in their speed at the downhill spot would be in agreement with your reasoning.
And regarding the sudden variation due to the flashes, how would this differ from a speeder panic-braking upon seeing a DPS cruiser patrolling for speeders?
I currently have an 8 minute commute, no toll roads. One big reason I took this job.
Just another reason to keep the truck off Wreck 101.
I am sure this will be challenged once the tickets start getting mailed out. I expect the city will actually pull out all stops regarding video techs, equipment certifiers, etc. to make the first few cases. If they win those, then their precedent will likely make it simply a matter of presenting the calibration records of the system and the custody records of the video in court to prove the prosecution's case.
More likely, they'll put wireless diagnostics into the cars. Then they can tax you on your odometer, fine you for speeding 24/7, and shut your car off if they want to.
It just isn't that hard to obey speed laws.
All this is coming. Herd us like cattle into the rail car.
Orwell was right.
You do realize some cars already have black boxes, right? Of course, in order for law enforcement to get the data from them they would need a court order - they can't just arbitrarily grab info from your personal property without due process. To do so would be unconstitutional.
But gathering information by taking pictures and monitoring speed on a public highway doesn't track anything you aren't exposing to the public eye already, so does not violate any constitutional rights.
Who's going to answer the question of "does that picture ACCURATELY depict the actual events it shows?" and the follow up, "how do you know?"
At some point a conviction will be challeneged and an appeals court will rule on the evidence.
www.photoblocker.com
At some point a conviction will be challeneged and an appeals court will rule on the evidence.
For the first few cases, I would imagine the city's witness lists would include members of the engineering, design, calibration, and testing teams. Backed up with the records and data developed during the installation, test, and maintenance phases of operation.
Once precedence has been set that the calibration and chain of custody records reflect the veracity of prior expert testimony any new affirmative defenses challenging the photo evidence will have to be based on novel reasons why it is invalid or they will be dismissed as already answered without the need of the time and expense of an expansive witness list for every case.
I don't know if I can, but while we shouldn't break the law, our government shouldn't have total power either, which this approaches, IMO.
http://www.photoradarspray.ca/
http://www.jammerstore.com/p_anti_photo.htm
There's more, just goole it.
But, remember, it takes a photo of the inside of the vehicle too. Wear a gorilla mask.
If, hypothetically, the city's solution involved increasing the number of police patrols looking for speeders would your argument be the same? How about if the increase was so great as to ensure all speeders would be caught 24/7? Or would you then protest that having too many police on duty approaches total power for the government?
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