Support of Traffic Cameras

[hyunelan2]

As this has come up a few times in several discussions, I thought I'd make a poll on the topic of traffic cameras.

[Kens GLS]

We have them everywhere in NY, toll booths above streetlights ,but i saw a cool product that you can buy that you spray on your plates and when the camera takes a picture of you speeding the plate number will not show up.I dont mind cameras in bad areas to pervent crime, but to catch people speeding sure makes the cops look pretty lazy.

[KeWLKaT]

Like I voted in the poll, I feel that it is a violation, a step towards George Orwell's BIG BROTHER totalitarian society. And believe me, using cameras to watch people was farfetched 100 years ago, but now it is a common thing.

It WILL happen. And I hope I won't be there to see it

[fgummett]

Here's a story from the UK where camera's are used extensively :
Fine for driver's make-up offence...

[ArunSenior04]

I dont mind cameras in all honesty.

[Vampyrate]

they are a needed evil and the more of them, the better

[Kenshin]

I definitely do NOT agree with the use of red light traffic cameras, as they have been statistically proven to cause MORE traffic accidents than they prevent. (I'm only talking about the cameras used at intersections to "cut down on people running red lights.") If people know there is a traffic camera at that intersection, they will SLAM on their brakes and risk the person behind them rear-ending them rather than going through a yellow light in an attempt to avoid the automated ticket. As far as traffic cameras on highways designed to send automated tickets to anyone who happens to be going 1 mile over the speed limit, I think that's a total bullsh*t idea too. It's not going to keep anyone safer, it's just going to make everyone use their cruise control and increase the risk of 'highway hypnosis' (you know, when you just zone out because all you're doing is sitting their staring at the road ahead,) and falling asleep at the wheel. Both proposals are a blatant attempt by law enforcement officials and traffic camera manufacturers at lining their own pockets and increasing state revenues.

[paki]

i support this red light camera thing. if they were on the intersection where my mom got T-boned last July, a lot of what my family has gone through would not have happened.

although I would not take it to the extreme of watching people while they do **** in the car.. but as long as you can catch red light runners and possibly other bad crimes.. its worth it

[2GTS]

I do support their use within reason. If the enforcement is going to be 1" over the line or 1MPH over the limit I have a problem but if there is a reasonable allowance for stopping slightly over the line but not in the intersection or speeding up to 10MPH over there shouldn't be an issue unless you are breaking the law.

Guess what, if you break the law you deserve punishment. The only reason that we think we are entitled to drive 10-15MPH over the speed limit is because the limits have never been enforced.

Make the law, enforce it and live with the fines if you chose to break it.

The only people who having anything to fear are criminals who don't want to be responsible for their actions.

[Robert1955]

I am against them because its the OWNER of the car that gets the ticket/fine NOT the person who was driving. Your MVA department and or police could care less who is driving, that is they care LESS about WHO actually commited the crime, they just want your money and to hel# with who is guilty. I actually feel this could be concidered extortion because they will suspend your registration, guilty or not, if you don't pay them.

paki - sorry to hear about your Mom but sadly the camera would most likely would not have helped. My Grandmother was t-boned, and died, by a repeat drunk driver who had no license but he was still driving.

[fgummett]

sorry to hear about your Mom but sadly the camera would most likely would not have helped. My Grandmother was t-boned, and died, by a repeat drunk driver who had no license but he was still driving.

Imagine a system of cameras that would have automatically "red-flagged" that unlicensed driver's car if it was even seen on the road and had the police dispatched to check him out...

It's the double-edged sword of technology : I carry a cell-phone and the cell-phone company can triangulate my position to within feet; if I'm doing bad things or am a worried about "big-brother" that's a bad thing but if I'm lost in the woods with a broken leg thats a good thing. What about cameras set up at public places with automated facial recognition software that can scan a crowd for known terrorists? The UK uses many many cameras and in some areas of London they have virtually stopped street crimes (pickpockets, muggings etc..) in their tracks... but at the same time are we giving up some civil liberties..?

[CTele02]

Our infrastructure is too huge for a human force to ever effectively cover any stretch of road... I mean sure we see a cop car pull over someone else ahead and we all slow down... but once we are out of sight, we just speed right back up because we all know that cop can only handle one car a time... a camera can watch that same stretch of road forever (as long as the batteries last) and it can continuously "report" offenders.

[only1db]

this is a clear violation of my civil rights...it is my choice to do something bad...and its their job to catch me...thats why in some states speed traps are illegal! they are decleared unconstitional...which they are...

all they do is generate revenue for the government...there was as study in D.C where they implemented these cameras and they generated a butt load of cash...did it make the streets any safer...nope...there was no statisical evidence that would point to the fact that the cameras were a leading factor that made our roads safer

where i would support cameras would be along bridges and tunnels...ex...lincoln tunnel in nyc and the GW bridge...because anybody doing something stupid there has the potential to create a major disaster...but on the highway when everybody is just crusing along...sorry charlie...i dont think so!

and of course like mentioned above the ticket the car and not the driver...how fair is that???? i get points on my license because somebody else did something...see you in court!!

I WILL CONTINUE TO SAY IT......DRIVER EDUCATION IS THE KEY!!!!!

[Nerraux]

City police, county police, constables, sheriffs, state police, rangers, marshalls, FBI, CIA, NSA, homeland security, secret service, + unknown other policing organizations -- how many layers of police do we need? And we want to put cameras in to add another level? Need more money for the country? Fine. Go ahead and put in the cameras, but in return, combine at least four of the above organizations, consolidate the resources and save BILLIONS in tax dollars. If the positions of all of the above police organizations are really justified, then at least make them do the damn work themselves. At least have a reason for it.

It's like ATMs. ATMs replaced tens of thousands in bank workers nationwide at a cost savings of millions of dollars to banks, and instead of giving us higher interest rates on our investments in return, they add more and higher fees so they can make even more money on top of it. So we get double-shafted and we just smile and say, "oh well, they're big business, what're we gonna do?" We don't have to accept the same treatment from our government.

If it's really okay to take pictures of people breaking the law and send them a bill, then we might as well take the logical next step and put variable limiters on all cars sold in the US that keep them from exceeding the speed limits on whatever road the car is traveling on.

Make no mistake. It IS Orwell-ian. It IS Farenheit 451-ish. It IS Equilibrium-esque. I'd ***** more, but I have to go answer the door and explain my thought crime to the nice men with guns.

[CTele02]

Whats with this talk of ticket the car and not the driver.... usually you know whos driving your car(if you dont then wow...) ... and the ticket will tell you when and where the speeding happened so if you see your kids or who ever is driving that car is making you pay a ticket, then your gonna beat the shiite out of him/her so they dont do it again

[soullesselantra]

Whats with this talk of ticket the car and not the driver.... usually you know whos driving your car(if you dont then wow...) ... and the ticket will tell you when and where the speeding happened so if you see your kids or who ever is driving that car is making you pay a ticket, then your gonna beat the shiite out of him/her so they dont do it again

yeah, with these WONDERFUL systems, it tracks registration of the vehicle and sends a ticket to the owner of the vehicle, also pointing their license and making them pay the fine...thats why nobody drives my car but me...

[only1db]

Whats with this talk of ticket the car and not the driver.... usually you know whos driving your car(if you dont then wow...) ... and the ticket will tell you when and where the speeding happened so if you see your kids or who ever is driving that car is making you pay a ticket, then your gonna beat the shiite out of him/her so they dont do it again

what are you smoking??? beat the hell out of my kids...NO they would be paying the extra insurance and the fine!! that is much more painful...and besides violence begets violence....lets not go there though...

big brother is already watching us....FROM SPACE!!!! hell go to google maps and put your a ddress in and look at the satelite image!! pretty scary!

[Mr. Dan]

While I feel that is it BS to call speeding/red light cameras a violation of rights, I do agree about them causing more accidents than they prevent. In Korea the speeding cameras are everywhere, and at every camera there are LOTS of tire marks with the occasional one leading to a guardrail or divider. The morons here routinely drive their crappy SUVs at 160 down the highway then expect them to stop in time when something "suddenly" gets in their way. As for cameras giving cops more time to deal with more important things. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Not here.

[GodisintheTV]

machines are prone to malfunction and when that malfuction could be an expensive ticket and points, you could really **** up someones life. i don't think its right unless the machines are constantly monitored and their actions kept in a log or something.

[hyunelan2]

this is a clear violation of my civil rights...it is my choice to do something bad...and its their job to catch me...

What civil right are they violating?

When you choose to do something bad, they should use every ability in current power to stop you. Also, upon becoming a criminal - you just chose to give up some of your rights (except those to remain silent, and due-process).

The police are still the ones catching you - but using a camera instead of a car with lights on top. People with the same frame of thinking probably thought Police shouldn't have cars back when they started replacing horses - because it would make catching law-breakers easier.