Texas expected to ban red light cameras

Uvaman2

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https://reason.com/2019/05/20/texas-poised-to-ban-all-red-light-cameras/
From the article:
If Texas cities want to fine drivers into the poor house, they're going to have to do it the old-fashioned way—with actual law enforcement officers. A bill to ban red light cameras has passed the Texas Legislature and is heading to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. He's expected to sign it.

I think this is awesome. Red light cameras have been a horrible application of technology and law.
 
The worst thing about red light cameras is that they incentivize towns into shortening yellow light times, which is just bad for safety. If an intersection has a problem with people running red lights, the yellow light length should be slightly lengthend, for safety's sake.
 
The worst thing about red light cameras is that they incentivize towns into shortening yellow light times, which is just bad for safety. If an intersection has a problem with people running red lights, the yellow light length should be slightly lengthend, for safety's sake.

That doesn't generate as much money though....
 
The worst thing about red light cameras is that they incentivize towns into shortening yellow light times, which is just bad for safety. If an intersection has a problem with people running red lights, the yellow light length should be slightly lengthend, for safety's sake.

Not just bad, but the worst. AAA has studied it and the #1 thing you can do at most intersections to improve safety is lengthen the yellow time. Worse still, sometimes they let the companies who run the cameras themselves control the lights.

It's the kind of thing that could be useful, but the profit in it just fucks it over. People get greedy and want money instead of safety.
 
The worst thing about red light cameras is that they incentivize towns into shortening yellow light times, which is just bad for safety. If an intersection has a problem with people running red lights, the yellow light length should be slightly lengthend, for safety's sake.


That's not the worst thing. The worst thing is that cities do use these cameras to cut back on Police Officers. They claim the cameras are so much more efficient. But camera doesn't replace even a fraction of the capabilities of a real officer on patrol. Loosing those officers has a serious effect on community safety. No red light camera is issuing drivers warnings that their brake lights or signal lights are out. They aren't stopping drivers who are being stupid or in trouble. They are not helping pregnant women get to the hospital by leading them in with the lights and siren running as the new father is loosing his mind. Those cameras do none of those things.

They all need to go.
 
My city has been implementing a short 1-2 second pause between the light turning red and the next light turning green.

This and a longer yellow light time are much safer/better than red light cameras.
 
I guess the expressways and toll roads are finally paying off.
 
SO MANY FREAKING TOLL ROADS IN TEXAS!!!

And our taxes go to pay for them. We are paying or others to profit. How the hell does that make any sense?

Anyway...

Yea red light cameras are a traffic safety issue. I've seen too many people slam their breaks rather than risk a red light camera ticket. Then there is a collision. then there is a traffic snarl around that intersection as the drivers exchange info/yell at each other. It's a mess.
 
SO MANY FREAKING TOLL ROADS IN TEXAS!!!

And our taxes go to pay for them. We are paying or others to profit. How the hell does that make any sense?

Anyway...

Yea red light cameras are a traffic safety issue. I've seen too many people slam their breaks rather than risk a red light camera ticket. Then there is a collision. then there is a traffic snarl around that intersection as the drivers exchange info/yell at each other. It's a mess.

Dallas is a joke as far as toll roads are concerned. Collin county has 4 major interstates/freeways and 3 of them are toll. It's BS

That DNT has paid for itself way too many times over to still be a toll road
 
Dallas is a joke as far as toll roads are concerned. Collin county has 4 major interstates/freeways and 3 of them are toll. It's BS

That DNT has paid for itself way too many times over to still be a toll road

Come now, it takes a lot of money to rip out all the tollbooths & put in those automatic gantries!
 
From what I read on those cameras they should only flash if you engage on red light. If you engaged on yellow and it turns red in the middle I thought you were ok. At least that's how it was in Vancouver when I went there.
I don't see the problem of having those where people pass on the red lights... I hate WAY more not fixed speed camera, makes everyone slow to a crawl where they can potentially be...

Speed limits over here are becoming retarded... almost 90% of the streets are now 30km/h, heavy used 50km/h and highways in the city 70km/h. People are going so slow that they're not awaken anymore and seems to be on cruise control and doesn't check around.
We need to make it harder to get licenses...
 
From what I read on those cameras they should only flash if you engage on red light. If you engaged on yellow and it turns red in the middle I thought you were ok. At least that's how it was in Vancouver when I went there.
I don't see the problem of having those where people pass on the red lights... I hate WAY more not fixed speed camera, makes everyone slow to a crawl where they can potentially be...

Speed limits over here are becoming retarded... almost 90% of the streets are now 30km/h, heavy used 50km/h and highways in the city 70km/h. People are going so slow that they're not awaken anymore and seems to be on cruise control and doesn't check around.
We need to make it harder to get licenses...

That issue isn't with the flash. It's with making the yellow light shorter so they'll have a higher chance of someone running because the yellow will turn to red faster than normal.
 
That issue isn't with the flash. It's with making the yellow light shorter so they'll have a higher chance of someone running because the yellow will turn to red faster than normal.

Well there should be guidelines in place for those settings with a min max and some extra points for large roads etc.. but yeah, can't expect much of those deciding this.
Here a lot of lights now ALWAYS allow pedestrian by default... even at 2AM they don't need to press any button... it just turns red for everyone and we need to wait... always fun when you're alone at the lights lol
 
Well there should be guidelines in place for those settings with a min max and some extra points for large roads etc.. but yeah, can't expect much of those deciding this.
Here a lot of lights now ALWAYS allow pedestrian by default... even at 2AM they don't need to press any button... it just turns red for everyone and we need to wait... always fun when you're alone at the lights lol

Timed lights today are just stupid. Every red light should have sensors to detect when drivers are at the light.
 
Timed lights today are just stupid. Every red light should have sensors to detect when drivers are at the light.

Yes, this !!! I went to Roseville in CA and most of those were like that, it was a charm !
I don't know how reliable those are in harsh winters though ?
 
Yes, this !!! I went to Roseville in CA and most of those were like that, it was a charm !
I don't know how reliable those are in harsh winters though ?

I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure they can still make them "timed" if they don't see any activity for a set period of time just so someone on the "side street" so-to-speak doesn't get stuck sitting at the light forever because it didn't register them as approaching.

Either way, with todays technology; I should not be sitting at a redlight on the "busy street" waiting for the light to turn green when there is no traffic on the "side street."
 
I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure they can still make them "timed" if they don't see any activity for a set period of time just so someone on the "side street" so-to-speak doesn't get stuck sitting at the light forever because it didn't register them as approaching.

Either way, with todays technology; I should not be sitting at a redlight on the "busy street" waiting for the light to turn green when there is no traffic on the "side street."

Yeah, I'm with you ! At least they should allow us to burn the reds when there's no one by doing a stop on it. They could turn big roads to always green with flashing red on the intersection at night. That would be cool, it could also be done during the day... whenever it's green one side you flash red on the other side with the priority to the green one.

That would be great but would require to remove 20% of the drivers since they couldn't handle the thinking behind it lol
 
That doesn't generate as much money though....
My parents live in a town where they dumped them, because they didnt' make that much money. They get lots of tickets, but people just dont' pay them and the company (I think this one was in AZ) couldn't collect, but they apparently charged money even if they couldn't collect.

As to this article, I'd swear they were talking about getting rid of the cameras 3 or 4 years ago. I assume it must've failed, since they're still discussing it in 2019.
 
Yeah, I'm with you ! At least they should allow us to burn the reds when there's no one by doing a stop on it. They could turn big roads to always green with flashing red on the intersection at night. That would be cool, it could also be done during the day... whenever it's green one side you flash red on the other side with the priority to the green one.

That would be great but would require to remove 20% of the drivers since they couldn't handle the thinking behind it lol

Around here they do that already. Only they do blinking red on the "side streets" and on the main street they do blinking yellow.
 
Yes, this !!! I went to Roseville in CA and most of those were like that, it was a charm !
I don't know how reliable those are in harsh winters though ?

We have them some places in Minnesota and they still seem to work.
 
Around here they do that already. Only they do blinking red on the "side streets" and on the main street they do blinking yellow.

Cool ! You live in 2040 compared to here LOL. I get timed lights on all streets with pedestrian priorities to wait for even if none is present even at 2AM. Also, they're all timed grossly, like always timed against the traffic (for the other less important side).
They also started to put sidewalk at intersections so you can't pass someone on the right side when he's waiting to turn left... no clue why they do this but it infuriates me. They're also removing parking for cyclist lane which don't use it.

Man I loved driving in California compared to Montreal, anywayyyyy maybe we'll get there LOL
 
SO MANY FREAKING TOLL ROADS IN TEXAS!!!

And our taxes go to pay for them. We are paying or others to profit. How the hell does that make any sense?

Anyway...

Yea red light cameras are a traffic safety issue. I've seen too many people slam their breaks rather than risk a red light camera ticket. Then there is a collision. then there is a traffic snarl around that intersection as the drivers exchange info/yell at each other. It's a mess.
You have to visit chicago sometime, 20miles of same highway has 4-6 tolls.
 
Why not make red light runners pay out the wazzoo? Like 1000's or something.

I don't go on green lights until I know it's clear of red light runners.
 
Why not make red light runners pay out the wazzoo? Like 1000's or something.

I don't go on green lights until I know it's clear of red light runners.

Because as stated numerous times in this thread, it does nothing to fix the problem.
 
Because as stated numerous times in this thread, it does nothing to fix the problem.

I can't believe no one think about it twice to run a red light if they know there's a camera ? Also that's good proof for insurance...
I know I slow down if I know there's a radar (Either disclosed or shown by Waze). I would also take extra care to not run a red with camera...
 
The worst thing about red light cameras is that they incentivize towns into shortening yellow light times, which is just bad for safety. If an intersection has a problem with people running red lights, the yellow light length should be slightly lengthend, for safety's sake.
I was going to say something about how Yellow lights have a minimum duration based on the speed limit of the area they are in based on how fast a vehicle can safely stop but then I realized this is the US where they don’t have those traffic rules.
 
I was going to say something about how Yellow lights have a minimum duration based on the speed limit of the area they are in based on how fast a vehicle can safely stop but then I realized this is the US where they don’t have those traffic rules.

They don't for real ? Seems like the perfect recipe for crashes lol
 
Because as stated numerous times in this thread, it does nothing to fix the problem.
Do you have numbers? If people had to pay 1000's if caught. I would like to see the stats on it.
 
I can't believe no one think about it twice to run a red light if they know there's a camera ? Also that's good proof for insurance...
I know I slow down if I know there's a radar (Either disclosed or shown by Waze). I would also take extra care to not run a red with camera...

You don't run red lights or go before it turns green so you don't get in an accident and potentially die.

If it was actually safe to go and no one was there who cares. If there are people or cops there you risk getting reported or a ticket.
 
Do you have numbers? If people had to pay 1000's if caught. I would like to see the stats on it.

How many people still drive at insane speeds in states and cities with incredibly high ticket prices? How many people still drive drunk despite the harsh laws against it? How many people still talk on their cell phones in cars despite the penalties for getting caught? Deterrence is a myth.
 
How many people still drive at insane speeds in states and cities with incredibly high ticket prices? How many people still drive drunk despite the harsh laws against it? How many people still talk on their cell phones in cars despite the penalties for getting caught? Deterrence is a myth.
And you have numbers to back it up or just your opinion?
 
I can't believe no one think about it twice to run a red light if they know there's a camera ? Also that's good proof for insurance...
I know I slow down if I know there's a radar (Either disclosed or shown by Waze). I would also take extra care to not run a red with camera...

Do you have numbers? If people had to pay 1000's if caught. I would like to see the stats on it.

Because the statistics have shown that while T-bone accidents have gone down, rear-end accidents have gone up at a much higher rate than T-bone accidents going down at red light camera intersections. Granted, the rate of fatal crashes have gone down, but there are better ways of getting the same result.

https://www.motorists.org/issues/red-light-cameras/increase-accidents/
https://www.iihs.org/topics/red-light-running- mixed article that supports red light cameras, with the caveat that yellow light timing is proper. Unfortunately, most red light camera systems are run by private corporations out to make a profit, so they generally decrease yellow light timing rather than using proper yellow light timing
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/red-light-cameras-may-not-make-streets-safer/?redirect=1

One of the better ways to make intersections safer, and I'm seeing it implemented all over the SF Bay Area, is to incorporate a 2 second delay between the red light and the next light turning green. I see it often now where the pedestrian would be okay to go for about 2 seconds before traffic gets the green light.
 
I have a question for all the people reading this thread:

How many of you live in an area where they have countdown timers by the pedestrian light? I love these, I can see from a whole block away if I have time to make the light or not. If I don't have time, then I can gradually slow to a stop rather than get surprised by a red light in the "reaction zone".

I don't have that much of an issue with red light cameras as long as there are countdown timers to go with them. Surprising people with a short yellow light and then dinging them for a red light violation is BS.
 
They don't for real ? Seems like the perfect recipe for crashes lol
They have a recommended minimum but no longer a legal minimum, what "studies" found was that longer yellow lights don't cause a decrease in people running red lights but that the traffic cameras do. What that study failed to mention was that shorter yellow lights were seen with an increase in minor accidents at those locations.

But its how the US system works, cut taxes, but increase spending so find ways to nickle and dime the populace to make up the short fall. Banning red light camera's will happen probably but they will find some other way to make up that money probably in greatly increased ticketing and much more severe fines for other arbitrary things. These sort of things force police to stop doing their needed work and instead focus on arbitrary tickets and civil forfeitures to make up their revenue shortfalls.
 
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