Posted on 05/27/2013 11:11:10 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The federal government recommends that yellow lights at intersections last for at least three seconds before turning red. So why are so many yellows being timed at 2.5 seconds? And why are those fleeting yellows often located at intersections where red-light cameras are installed?
The mandarins tell us that red-light cameras are for our own safety, and that we need more of them than the 150 already in New York City. “While we wait,” city transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said last month, “New Yorkers are dying on our streets.”
So why increase the mayhem by cutting the duration of the yellow light by half a second? The city continues to deny that it did so, but both a Post investigation and a AAA study found intersections with cameras had yellow lights that lasted as little as 2.53 seconds, 15% less than the city’s standard.
Three motorists subsequently brought a class-action suit against the city.
Other reporters around the country are finding similar situations. In Florida, WTSP-TV in St. Petersburg found that the operators of cameras had reduced yellow-light times by half a second without telling motorists. The same thing happened in 2008 in San Bernadino, Calif., whose city council then ordered the removal of the cameras. Half a million people are getting refunds in a New Jersey class action after complaining about yellow-light timing when they were ticketed.
It’s unclear whether the cameras even increase safety. A 2005 Washington Post study found that “the number of accidents has gone up at intersections with the cameras.”
Though many studies have found that cameras reduce side impact or “T-bone” accidents involving cars heading at right angles to each other, the same studies also find an increase in rear-end collisions.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
***** “The light was green in my direction and the car/truck/semi went blasting through. I know that if the green is on in my direction it has been red in the opposite direction for at least 1 second.” ******
It appears that intersection has a very short Yellow Light... try stopping a loaded Semi sometime and get back with us (1 Second added to the Yellow Light and you’d be a Happy Camper?)
TT
PS a Green light to me still means Yield, I look both ways no matter what, a Green Light is no excuse to be stupid.
So, you won’t obey the law unless you fear getting caught? You need Big Brother watching over you for everything?
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Cut him some slack ... we all live in different states ,, some have permissive yellow laws and some don’t ... permissive yellow was endorsed (but not made mandatory) by the “uniform Traffic Control Device” codes way back in the 1960’s ... some liberal hellholes like Maryland kept non-permissive yellow rules to “enhance” revenue collection. He never mentioned going through on RED ,, just not making a 110% effort to stop for a yellow...
The "countdown clocks" that I've seen should be a requirement before any red-light camera gets installed.
Red Light Cameras should be a Non-Starter period.
JMHO
TT
Precisely the wrong attitude.
Eliminate some waste before asking for tax increases.
“There you go thinking like an engineer again!”
No like? No run red lights!
Why is is that 99 out of 100 semi’s in our agricultural town stop for red lights with no problem but some high ballers just seem not to care?
I have been accused of many things but never being a liberal. I do however support red light cameras, speed limits and driving laws in general and if you have followed my posts on FR since 1998 you would know that.
The accusations usually just precede my winning an argument. If you cannot win in the marketplace of ideas, accuse.
Several years ago I got what was exactly my 2nd speeding ticket in 33 years of driving. I don't speed, but it was a nice trap with a 45 mph road suddenly dropping to 35 on a downhill... Anyway, do you know you can pay your fine over the phone with a credit card? Yeah, it is a revenue system, that's all. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck...
Load?
TT
Maybe it’s just me, Lights do not ensure my Safety, I look at them as if they were suggestions, I always look before proceeding... I have a lot of years on 2 wheels and always assume no matter what I am in or on that nobody can see me and I proceed with that mindset.
My motorcycles have always been louder than their horn ... in my Diesel I can bump the Horn a bit, just for fun.
TT
>>Now it’s deemed a civil offense, like a tort or something that one would sue for.<<
Yes, the quantum of proof is “more likely than not.” But the State’s access to unlimited resources has not reduced on scintilla.
Am I now a agent of the government and responsible for the actions of others?
ALL laws are enforced by the citizenry themselves through their consciences. Do you want highway speeds to be electronically monitored on all roads 24X7? How about issuing jaywalking tickets via camera surveillance?
Oh, and red light cameras INCREASE accidents: Check here
Constant and increased policing is NOT the answer. At least not to those of us who don't support the Nanny State.
Well then they would not “need the money.” Allow for words to mean what they mean please....
Normally if traffic court is just a revenue game they are not going to blow 10 grand on experts.
Which is my point: the USC and BOR were designed to protect people from an essentially unlimited government.
They may not DECIDE to blow $10K on a traffic ticket. Or $100K. Or $1 million.
BUT THEY COULD IF THEY SO CHOSE.
That is why infractions should have never come into existence: they are patently against the Constitution.
******* “Normally if traffic court is just a revenue game they are not going to blow 10 grand on experts.” ********
Our Town BRAGS in the local Paper about how much more they got for this Spring Break than they did the last Spring Break.
It isn’t even a question that LE is Revenue Enhancement... it is JOB #1
TT
“””
“””I have been accused of many things but never being a liberal. I do however support red light cameras, speed limits and driving laws in general and if you have followed my posts on FR since 1998 you would know that.
The accusations usually just precede my winning an argument. If you cannot win in the marketplace of ideas, accuse.”””
So you want Big Brother to send us tickets in the mail for crimes our CARS committed? Red light cameras are just the beginning of an even worse nanny state. I can’t believe any conservative would go along with it.
Some years back, I was pulled over for "flashing my lights" at oncoming traffic to warn them about a speed trap that I just passed by. One of the cars I warned happened to be another cop and he spun a 180 and pulled me over immediately.
When he stomped (yes stomped) over to my car, his face was beet red and was so angry he was stammering. He stated that the speed trap was set up to make the roads safer and demanded to know why I would circumvent those efforts by warning others to slow down as they approached it.
I said that I was simply doing my part to help ensure that the motorists slowed down - so as to "improve safety". He wasn't buying it but did have to let me go as he couldn't find anything to ticket me for. But he was so angry at me for getting others to slow down, ruining the opportunity to write them speeding tickets.
These traffic light cameras are even more insidious than cops hiding in bushes with radar guns. I first started noticing them several years ago in places like the Atlanta and Long Island suburbs. Now they are popping up everywhere.
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