Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Where I live in NC, they have them EVERYWHERE, and down here, I actually think they're a great idea. BUT the biggest difference is that yellow lights here are somewhere between 10 and 20 seconds long. So you definitely do NOT have to slam on your breaks to make it through a yellow, and you have tons of time to clear the light OR safely stop at it and avoid the camera taking a picture of you.

DH got a red light camera ticket in NY on Northern Blvd in Little Neck when he was visiting me a few years ago and he distinctly remembers the van next to him slamming on its breaks the second the light went to yellow. He totally couldn't understand it, and kept at his same rate of speed (he was AT the crosswalk of the intersection at the moment the light turned yellow) and realized a moment later that if he had slammed his breaks too, he wouldn't have gotten the ticket.

That, I think, is the problem with the way the red light cameras in NY are. If they actually had a safe grace period (ie: yellow light) instead of the one second yellow-to-red, it could actually be extremely effective.

I wonder if that study said anything about how long the yellow light has to be in order to make the cameras effective.

The only difference in NY from NC is that you could use the pedestrian crosswalk signs to see just how much time you have until the light changes. If it's blinking "don't walk" you can slow down, and you know as soon as the "don't walk stops blinking, the light is about to change. I used to gauge my intersection crossing by that when I could. In NC, there's no pedestrian signs unless a pedestrian pushes the button so they always by default just stay on "don't walk."

So, bottom line, I'm for the cameras, but only when they make the yellow light an appropriate length to stop the dangerous sudden stops.

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

I'm for them and they are all over the place here in Maryland.Heavily traveled school zones have recently been outfitted with SPEED cameras as well.

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

The one on Hempstead Tpke and Newbridge Road/106 must give about 50 tickets an hour. The cameras click nonstop, even when I can't see anyone doing anything wrong. I am not sure if it is a 'warning' signal to drivers or if they are really giving out tickets because it is so excessively going off all the time (I easily pass that intersection 4x a day). Unless they are giving them out to the 'right on red' people, which I am pretty sure is legal in at least 2 of the 4 rights you can make.

Message edited 10/30/2010 12:14:30 PM.

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

I don't like them because people are sooo afraid to get a ticket that they prematurely slam on their brakes.

I almost slammed into this old guy once that seriously slammed on his breaks the SECOND the light turned yellow, as if he were trying to avoid a child in the street or something.

IMO what you do at a yellow light is a driver's judgement call. Yes, some people are jerks and do not make the right decision (like someone who speeds up to "make the yellow" when it is just about to turn red) but overall I think many times the camera defeats the purpose of even having yellow due to the people I mentioned above.

Message edited 10/30/2010 12:32:37 PM.

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Question: If I am already in the intersection when a light turns red, will I get a citation?

Answer: No. But remember, a yellow light before red is a warning for the driver to slow down and prepare to stop. Entering or being in an intersection anytime on a red signal is dangerous. Citations are only issued when a vehicle enters the intersection AFTER the light has turned red.

Suffolk County Government FAQ website

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

This

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

As someone who drives in their call three hours per day ...

I am in favor of red light cameras and any other source that will prevent people from KILLING someone because of their blatant disrespect for the law. It's disgusting the way many people drive today and it scares the hell out of me when I get behind the wheel. I don't even know why they let cars drive as fast as they do. If your car is registered in NY, it should be allowed to drive over 60 mph. It kills people. We are driving weapons and use them very unsafely!

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

In general I am ALL for it.

I did get a ticket last year (DH was driving my car) and I know we never went through the red light. Came to find out that the lights in the City turn red on you in much shorter time than on LI or anywhere else and it's done intentionally. So to the "unknown", if you "might" go through yellow in the Bronx, well it turned red before you know it.

Aside my own ticket for not knowing about the timing of green/yellow/red in the City, IT IS a good thing.

I hope it does get adjusted so turning right on red does not generate a ticket only to be told that Nassau needs revenue so go waste your time in court to defend your case (which most people won't do...so $$ for Nassau). I also hope this is more of a "avoiding accident" technique vs. a revenue generating system. So don't try to trick people with red light timing.

Yes, we are going to get some accidents until people get it.

But I am really sick and tired to see 3-4 cars going through red lights because people just cannot wait any longer and can't be bothered to wait for the next green light. People are going to have to relearn about "waiting for their turn" and that "little white painted band" on the ground does mean to stop there and not half way the intersection.

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

I don't think the pic should be taken the second the light turns red... but more like 3 to 5 seconds afterwards. It's bad when the car is in midsection when it turns and they get a ticket... that's what people are trying to avoid and thus break slamming.

ETA: I am for the cameras to stop people from going through red lights.... I just think they need a small grace period of a few seconds...

ETA Again: I agree with Springsandra about making the yellow a tad longer.....

Message edited 10/30/2010 5:06:59 PM.

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

If the camera is working the way it should and if someone is monitoring the recordings/photographs for errors, I am all for it.

One thing a lot of people don't seem to understand about legal rights on reds is that you're still supposed to make a full stop before driving over the big white stop line. Not a rolling stop, not a slowdown until you can see the traffic is clear, a full. stop.

Something I noticed about the flashes on the corner of Motor Parkway and Vets is that the flash doesn't look like it's pointed in the direction of the road it's on. For instance, the ones that are on Motor Parkway look like they're pointed towards Vets. So they may not be flashing for the road you're on, but the other one.

Anyway, there's nothing that irks me more about driving when someone breaks the law and has the nerve to b*tch about it. Drive defensively with proper distance between you and the car in front of you, with the expectation that that light could turn any second, and you'll probably be fine.

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?

there is apparently a standard formula which applies to the timing of yellow lights. I started looking at the mathmatical formula and it made my head hurt. Suffice it to say it has to do with the speed limit in relation to the expected braking distance to the traffic light once it turns yellow. Using this formula it would be expected that NYC yellows would be timed less since the speed limit is lower than 55 mph for example on Nesconset Highway.

ETA: That should anyone WANT their head to hurt here's a link to a question posted on google:

Yellow light computation

Message edited 10/30/2010 8:21:44 PM.

Re: Redlight Camera Spinoff - Who's in FAVOR?