The City Council of Austin unanimously voted to install 15 red light cameras for downtown intersections just days ago. The $15.8 million contract went to Redflex Traffic Systems.
How does the red light camera scam work?
1) Slippery politicos say that Red Light Cameras create safer roads while numerous studies across the country prove they cause MORE accidents.So, is there a real way to reduce accidents and red light runners?
2) Once the camera's are installed, and the key council members like Jennifer Kim get campaign contributions from the Red Light Camera company profiteers, they shorten the timing of the yellow light to make more money (SEE BELOW!).
3) The Contractor and Politicos gets paid first. Taxpayers pay for the machines and maintenance. Taxpayers also pay via tickets and more accidents after the timing of the yellow lights are reduced.
YES, It's simple, but NOT profitable. Lengthening yellow lights to 5-6 second does more to reduce accidents than Red Light Camera's.
AND, remember when Legislators pushed for half the funds of RLC's were to go to emergency rooms and trauma centers? That money is being diverted too, says many new reports!
Also, read this new article below...
Dallas, Texas Cameras Bank
on Short Yellow Times
By TheNewsPaper.comon Short Yellow Times
A local news investigation has found that the city of Dallas, Texas depends upon short yellow timing to maximize red light camera profit. Of the ten cameras that issue the greatest number of tickets in the city, seven are located at intersections where the yellow duration is shorter than the bare minimum recommended by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), KDFW-TV found.
The city's second highest revenue producing camera, for example, is located at the intersection of Greenville Avenue and Mockingbird Lane. It issued 9407 tickets worth $705,525 between January 1 and August 31, 2007. At the intersections on Greenville Avenue leadding up to the camera intersection, however, yellows are at least 3.5 or 4.0 seconds in duration, but the ticket producing intersection's yellow stands at just 3.15 seconds. The yellow is .35 seconds shorter than TxDOT's recommended bare minimum.
"For 30 miles per hour, if your yellow time was less than three and a half, you would not be giving that driver enough time to react and brake and stop prior to getting to the intersection," TxDOT Dallas District office transportation engineer supervisor Chris Blain told KDFW.
A small change in signal timing can have a great effect on the number of tickets issued. About four out of every five red light camera citations are issued before even a second has elapsed after the light changed to red, according to a report by the California State Auditor. This suggests that most citations are issued to those surprised by a quick-changing signal light. Confidential documents obtained in a 2001 court trial proved that the city of San Diego, California and its red light camera vendor, now ACS, only installed red light cameras at intersections with high volumes and "Amber (yellow) phase less than 4 seconds."
Read the rest of the story HERE.
6 comments:
Someone needs to sue the shit out of the red light camera companies and TXDOT for causing more rear-end accidents. And then sue again for causing lost wages for the time it take to file the first lawsuit. To sue I'd think all one needs is a video camera to prove that the light is unreasonably short. I will buy a video camera and GPS for my car before I ever get a TaXTag. I refuse to lose at this unfair game of screw the citizens. Even if it costs me more to sue than I'll ever win, I will do it. Not one dime of my money will ever go to these crooks.
It's also a question of our constitutional rights! Cameras and toll roads are the latest campaigns pushed by special interests all across the nation. It's really a "1984" Orwellian reality of "Big Brother" coming on strong! Interestingly enough today Jennifer Kim told the press she is running for reelection. How many dogs do we let roam free in Austin and throughout Texas without calling on the dog catcher?
I witnessed these cameras in the dfw area last week. It takes the judgment of an officer away and fines you for being in the intersection regardless of the cause. I saw a car get photographed because a pedestrian was walking across the intersection while the car was attempting a left turn. the yellow light was indeed very short. These crooks are stealing our money everyday and its a shame that these crooks get away with these new citizen paid for theft rings. One more reason not to go into Austin sorry local businesses.
I have seen a lot of people pull through an intersection or off on the right of way in an intersection to make way for emergency vehicles to pass. What is a motorist supposed to do when a red light camera is watching and taking your picture for a citation as you allow the firetruck or ambulence to pass? How many people have to use their personal time to fight these tickets when they were committing no crime?
Hell, by the distortion paint! they made it illegal to use but they have to prove your using it!
Wyoming here I come! Been to Austin once, never went back.
According to the show Myth Busters, painting your license plate with distortion paint or similar doesn't work :) too bad... Don't waste your money on it.
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