Revenue or Safety - People Behaving Badly

The city of Oakland is considering adding more red light cameras, Stanley Roberts looks at what drivers are doing and rather or not red light cameras are about safety or revenue.

• Category

  News & Politics

[liquidthex]

Don't run red lights

Stanley how long have we had red lights and how long have we had red light violators?

How about cars driving themselves

That sounds like an ACTUAL solution :D

[Stanley Roberts]

Cars driving themselves, someone will find a way to override the autopilot...

[liquidthex]

I think a networked system kind of precludes that as a serious problem,

but, people will behave badly :)

[Stanley Roberts]

Here is what I see, Hackers thinking it would be fun to make self driving cars go to strip clubs, bad neighborhoods or simply do donuts.....

[ArmaEditor]

Multiple cities, including mine, have squashed the red light program. They found that the private company was only trying to get the city to make it easier to run the light. Such as reducing yellow light times, etc.

That is what is nice about living in a city where the city actually looks out for its citizens and is not just worried about revenue.

[liquidthex]

My computer doesn't do that, I don't know why my car would.

I do hope the car doesn't crash as much as my computer, though.

[snowbird29803]

You have an extraordinary grasp of the obvious. But did you know that RL cameras CAUSE more accidents than they avoid? Drivers who know they are there will slam on breaks and get hit from behind. The statistics on this type collision are clear on this. And most traffic lights are timed with Red facing both ways for a few seconds. So, anybody who goes through a "pink light" does not pose a serious danger. BUT, they WILL get a RL ticket. So, one can only conclude that these are revenue generators.

[ylen13]

Stanley I got better way for you. If you own a business just register it on the business name, especially if it's a corp. A corporation is a person in the eye of the law but it can't drive a vehicle. There is no law that requires owner to id the driver. So once the ticket is challenged it gets dismissed. Also if you have daughter/son that don't live with you can register it on their name. That way they can easily get it dismissed being they were not the ones driving the vehicle.

[JenJui]

I Don't Run Red Lights. I'm Not Stupid. I did it once, Not intentionally. A long time ago, in Fremont, when making a Right turn on a Red light. Because I was always taught that it's Ok to Turn Right on a Red Light. But when that Camera flash got me, almost two years ago. I was like "Oh Crap!" I was mad! because I thought I was in the Right. I didn't think I'd done anything wrong. but I guess I had. Oops! the Ticket Fine HURT A Lot! I'm still trying to pay it off. 2 yrs later. I don't make much $

[JenJui]

I actually have driven that corner on 66th, a lot when I worked over in that area. I Never ran the red light. I knew that camera was there. I've already gotten busted doing that in Fremont, w/out realizing til it was too late, that I'd done something wrong. The ticket, wasn't a pretty. It HURT a lot more getting it in the mail, than it did to stop at that red light for a few more seconds than I had. I thought I'd stopped long enough, until that light flashed & the ticket arrived in my mailbox.

[Bkrayzaythetrollolol]

well if your computer had wheels and transported you then I would be concerned and I would have to say that it's not a computer it's a vehicle. you're computer is probably chop full of viruses and malware if it continues to crash!

[Bkrayzaythetrollolol]

umm every design created thus far uses a camera system to "see" the lines on the road and are not connected to the internet, or any other network for that matter. you cant hack a device that is not networked. so long as software updates are done via CD or an authorized maintenance person you have 0 risk of this ever occurring.

[chemech]

Pasadena, CA has removed a couple of their red light cameras - maybe all, but I haven't checked.

The camera closest to my house is also closest to a fire station, and I've only seen the flash go off when Ladder 32 went through running Code 3.

I expect that they weren't getting the business that was anticipated...

[baire702]

I agree too! that's what i was thinking. I have to say a big DUH to those to continue to run red lights, esp where there are cameras and complain about revenue!