Speed camera solution.

[Big RR]

Add to that the fact that with this sort of ticket it's generally "guilty until proven innocent" in the court. Hiring experts to challenge the camera and say it was inappropriately set, etc. is cost prohibitive and makes no sense. And in some jurisdictions (I believe NJ was one), the company providing the cameras was paid a commission on every fine (that's like paying a traffic cop a commission on every ticket (s)he writes, no conflict of interest there).

[Scooter]

If thousands of tickets were thrown out, as was stated, because the camera was taking pictures indiscriminately, then that hurdle has already been overcome. In fact, I seriously doubt that going to court would have even been required to challenge a ticket received on that day or to get a refund of a payment made on a bogus ticket.

[Big RR]

Perhaps, but those thousands of tickets would not have been thrown out without the financial support of an organization that wished to challenge such tickets, and a willing person who preferred to fight (and lose several days pay, pay for parking, etc.) rather than just shut up and pay the fine as thousands did.

[Scooter]

I don't know how many paid, I don't know that it needed to be "fought" at all or if the city just recognized the mistake and fixed it, nor if the entire scenario is complete bullshit because all we know about it is what someone typed here with absolutely no substantiation provided.

[oldr_n_wsr]

I know with my ticket, they sent me the pictures and I could clearly see that I was in the wrong, entering after the light had turned from yellow to red.
Don't know if the pictures in question were sent, but if so, they would show that the person was in the right and should go contest it.
I don't know if every state/city sends pictures of the drivers offense.

[Jarlaxle]

If thousands of tickets were thrown out, as was stated, because the camera was taking pictures indiscriminately, then that hurdle has already been overcome. In fact, I seriously doubt that going to court would have even been required to challenge a ticket received on that day or to get a refund of a payment made on a bogus ticket.

Keep rereading my last post until it sinks in.

[Scooter]

If we relied on the solution you propose to every problem, anyone who ran a red light would be shot on sight. Problem solved.

[Jarlaxle]

Are you incapable of comprehending simple English, or are you just being a dipshit?

[Scooter]

I can do both, thank you.

You post an anecdote, without substantiation of any kind, that doesn't quite hang together properly, to put it politely. So I responded with a snark that, frankly, still gave it more dignity than it deserved. Don't like it? Too fucking bad, get over your cheap self and go whine about it to somebody who cares.

[datsunaholic]

There's been a couple cases of cameras here in Washington going "rogue" and taking photos randomly, but they didn't result in any tickets. In WA, at least, any red light or speed camera violation has to be reviewed by a police officer before the violation notice can be sent out. So it's not an entirely automated process.

For the cameras in Seattle that were randomly firing off, the biggest complaints were from the residents around the intersections because the camera flashes kept going off all night even with no one in the intersections.

[Jarlaxle]

I can do both, thank you.

You post an anecdote, without substantiation of any kind, that doesn't quite hang together properly, to put it politely. So I responded with a snark that, frankly, still gave it more dignity than it deserved. Don't like it? Too fucking bad, get over your cheap self and go whine about it to somebody who cares.

Sober up.

[Long Run]

The way around the camera tickets here is simply drive another person's car. They send the picture and ticket to the car owner, who can check the box that the person driving is not me. No ticket.

[Long Run]

I'm with Oldr that this technology has been turned into an ATM for local governments, just like a small town speed trap. You get cities shortening the yellow light period so the camera nabs more red-light running. The mobile vans park on busy thoroughfares, where they just happened to reduce the historical speed limit, rather than neighborhood streets where they could actually improve livability and protect kids and pedestrians. I discussed this with a local mayor and he was candid that they make too much money off cameras to change how they use them.

Of course, after awhile, any half-way alert person knows where they put the vans and you stay on the look out for them. Getting back to Scooter's stupid tax point of view, there was a post in Nextdoor (kind of a useful site to connect neighbors) from a 20-something complaining about where they parked the camera van, i.e., right where the limit goes from 40 to 30, and said he had gotten like 7 tickets there!

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well, it's good to learn. There's a small town on the N1 to Cape Town which benefits wonderfully from the fact that the speed limit goes from 120kph to 100kph and then, no more than fifty metres further on, down to 60kph. Your normal driver spots the 100k and begins to slow down but without skidding on full anchor, it's inevitable one is travelling at over 80kph when the second sign shows up. And that's where the camera is.

I got caught twice. First time, I didn't pay much attention to where the event had occurred - just paid up. Second time, I recognised the location. Third time of travelling I'd learned; 100kph really meant "slow down to 60 now"- I was doing 60kph when that sign (and its foul camera) appeared.

I got a letter of disappointment from the city fathers

[Crackpot]

see in my neighborhood there was a problem with speeding. they speed trapped it for a couple days. then speed clocked it for a week or so and eventually installed a permanent solar speed detecting sign. to posts the speed limit shows you yours and the numbers flash if 1-5 miles over and flashes a strobe at you if over that. Speed problem solved.

Fix the problem don't use the problem to generate revenue.

Public safety should not come second to a steady stream of revenue.

[datsunaholic]

Well, that might have worked in your neighborhood. But then you get nuts like this:

[Crackpot]

And you are assuming those are "real" (one of which is demonstratively false). In all places where I've seen permanent signs I've seen a marked reduction of speed including an area where a 25mph zone is sandwiched between two 45mph zones.

[datsunaholic]

Of course they're not "Real". People who actually try to hit high number don't stop to put signs on the speed trailers.

In a couple places around here they have permanent "Your speed" signs. People slow down for them at first. But as months and years go by folks just ignore them as much as the metal painted speed limit signs. I suppose if they had speed cameras then it would make a difference, although that does little good if you don't have a front license plate (my State requires front plates but folks ignore the law and just pay the fine when caught). The only places here that have speed enforcement cameras are school zones (permanent ones) and construction zones (temporary).

Part of the issue is some streets have seemingly random speed limits. One of the places with a speed radar (no camera, though) is Admiral Way in West Seattle. The road was built for a 40 MPH speed limit, but they cut the limit to 30 for "safety" even though it has wide shoulders, wide lanes and dedicated sidewalks that are rarely used. The stupid part is the dangerous area is where you transition from the West Seattle freeway to the surface street with a sharp curve with no shoulders... the speed limit is still 40 there, with "cautionary" 25MPH signs. As soon as the road straightens out the limit drops to 30. The local paper published how many people get pulled over, but the tickets are almost always for folks doing 40+. Some are 70+.