Photo Radar

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• oldfarmer50 (Jun 08, 2009 9:01 am)
  • imidazol97 (Jun 08, 2009 10:48 am)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Jun 05, 2009 10:52 am)

Replying to: vcheng (Jan 30, 2009 11:18 am)

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• vcheng (Jun 08, 2009 6:41 am)

Replying to: xrunner2 (Jun 08, 2009 6:22 am)

I respect your position in not being able to see the analogy about slippery slopes that I intended.
 
On with discussing photo radar and automatic enforcement only ......

Replying to: imidazol97 (Jun 05, 2009 10:55 am)

I was passing through a construction site today on my way to work. They had set up a radar device which clocked your speed and then displayed it under a "Your Speed Is". I was following several cars that were going the reduced limit of 55, as was I.
 
As each of the cars in front of me passed this device the sign read "Your Speed Is 64, Slow Down". Then as I passed at EXACTLY 55, the sign said that I too was doing 64.
 
This leads me to wonder about the accuracy of this type of technology. How many people are nailed by a malfunctioning photo radar and how would you prove that it was the device that's wrong.
 
Seems that a human operator would pick up that his radar was not working correctly very quickly. A wacky photo radar might ticket hundreds of cars before it was noticed.

Replies to this message:
• imidazol97 (Jun 08, 2009 10:48 am)

Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Jun 08, 2009 9:01 am)

Maine is the 14th state to ban photo enforcement. The rest will follow in due course.
 
from: http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2009/June09/061509/061709-03.htm
 
Maine bans use of ticket cameras
 
Lawmakers in Maine say no thanks to revenue enhancements via ticket cameras. They are the 14th state to outlaw the enforcement tool.
 
Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed into law a bill to prevent the state, or communities within the state, from tapping the use of photo enforcement to nab drivers breaking traffic laws. The state joins Mississippi and Montana in banning the technology this year.
 
While traffic surveillance cameras are not in use in Maine, the new law was a proactive step taken to make sure they don’t start showing up around the state. The ban applies to red-light and speed cameras.
 
Previously LD1234, the new rule makes an exception for cameras on the Maine Turnpike to help ensure payment at toll booths.
 
The recent wave of states to prohibit the use of photo enforcement has been a blow to red-light and speed camera advocates who say the devices are about safety and using technology in a helpful way. Others say the devices free up police to address bigger issues.
 
Opponents, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, question the claim that cameras are solely intended to keep people safe. Rep. Richard Cebra, R-Naples, shared that concern.
 
“In many places around the country, these cameras have become nothing more than a moneymaker for municipalities,” he said in a written statement.
 
There also is a question about the effectiveness of such cameras. Opponents argue they have the potential to distract drivers and cause more fender-bender accidents. In fact, multiple studies have found that crashes actually increased in cities with red-light cameras.
 
“While on the surface these cameras may appear to increase public safety, recent studies have shown that they actually increase the occurrences of accidents at intersections where the public is aware that there is a camera,” Cebra said.
 
To view other legislative activities of interest for Maine in 2009, click here.
 
– By Keith Goble, state legislative editor

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• euphonium (Jul 07, 2009 9:56 am)

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• lilengineerboy (Jun 19, 2009 12:22 pm)
  • steve_ (Jun 19, 2009 2:08 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Jun 19, 2009 8:38 am)

Replies to this message:
• steve_ (Jun 19, 2009 2:08 pm)

Replying to: lilengineerboy (Jun 19, 2009 12:22 pm)