Tue
Jun 3 2008
09:22 pm
By: airrn

Looks like Oak Ridge wants in on the red light camera extortion.

"He said 10 people have died on the city's roadways in the last three years, and nearly 850 have been injured."

I like how they don't say under what circumstances these deaths or injuries occured. Exactly what percentage were red lights even involved?

Interestingly enough today's New York Times has a piece on this very subject.

Topics:
djuggler's picture

Google "Hans Monderman" I

Google "Hans Monderman"

I also posted Safer traffic is with less, not more this past Friday with pictures showing that Knoxville has re-engineered streets for traffic control.

Doug McCaughan
(link...)

airrn's picture

Monderman

Loved your post on the subject. Monderman had some great ideas! Thanks for sharing.

gonzone's picture

A Name for this

How to outsource your local police department and make more money.

Extortion is exactly what this practice has become.

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson

Factchecker's picture

I don't get it

Seriously, we've been through the Concord Road roundabout only once since it was finished, but it is wonderful. Hate to give credit to that town, but that needs to be duplicated in numerous places.

Carole Borges's picture

I swear I've noticed this here...

The San Diego judge also found that the company installing the red light cameras had tinkered with (by shortening) the duration of the yellow lights, to make them impossibly quick, so more people would be caught running the red; more money for the camera operator and the municipality...

After a couple of times, you accelerate like hell not to get caught running a red light.

djuggler's picture

I've had at least two

I've had at least two moments at Kingston Pike and Morrell where I should have been able to get through the intersection but because someone slowed to turn into Walgreens traffic momentarily backed up and while I was in the intersection it went from green to (short) yellow so instead of sitting in the intersection I pull up beside the car in front of me which is damn scary driving as its unpredictable movement on my part and since I'm aimed at the curb instead of a lane of traffic I technically have no where to go. BUT I'm not in the intersection!

Doug McCaughan
(link...)

djuggler's picture

If I am turning north from

If I am turning north from Trucker's Lane to Cedar Bluff and the light turns yellow while I'm in the intersection, I feel compelled to slam my foot down on the accelerator instead of calmly completing my turn (as in the past). This is bad for my tires, bad for my gas mileage, bad for my car, and, with the way people cut over from the middle lane to try to cut into the right lane to get onto the interstate ramp, this is down right dangerous.

I haven't received a ticket yet but I feel no love for these cameras. I don't see where they are making me safer when I feel that my own driving has become scarier because of them.

Doug McCaughan
(link...)

Justin's picture

You wont get a ticket if you

You wont get a ticket if you have already crossed the solid white line when its yellow. The camera will only take your pic if you cross the line after it turned red.

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