Anyone Ever Got a Camera Ticket in Hillsborough County? (Tampa: live, safety)

[BucFan]

Yes, autobahns frequently have speedlimits - and cameras are on the autobahns a lot of the times.

Not sure how you can say that cameras cause more damage - do you have a link to stats?

[Soorena]

I don't really need links for a personal experience. 2 years ago the car on front of me panicked at the sight of a yellow light and slammed on his brakes, so I had to slam on my brakes too. My distance was sufficient with the car on front of me, but the car behind me read ended me.
I honestly don't think speed cameras or speed limits reduce accidents or make the roads any safer. However, they are very easy and efficient ways of generating revenue for state and local law enforcement agencies. Of course, politicians would never dare to question such policies because questioning speed limits is like trying to raise taxes = career suicide for politicians.
Cops and law enforcement agencies always come up with new ways of writing tickets and people who don’t believe in such policies always come up with new ways to neutralize them. Cops start using radar, people start using radar detectors. Cops start using laser, people start using laser detectors & laser jammers. Cops setup speed cameras, people make a list of speed cameras in an entire continent and publish it online…

not sure how credible this is, but worth a read: Speed Cameras Increase Freeway Accidents 31-55% | Techdirt

[Kaiminani]

Soorena already posted a study that indicates speed cameras increase accident rates.
Here are 6 studies that indicate red-light cameras increase accident rates.

Red-light Cameras Increase Crashes, Florida Researchers Find

Red-Light Cameras Increase Accidents: 5 Studies That Prove It

In Peoria, AZ accidents doubled after red-light cameras were installed.
Some members of the city council blame the increase in accidents on 'construction' instead.
Peoria officials question the value of red-light cameras

In Los Angeles, accidents went up at 20 intersections and down at only 9 where red-light cameras were installed.
Do Red-Light Cameras Make Intersections More Dangerous - cbs2.com

In Temple Terrace - accidents increased so much after red-light cameras were installed that the police just stopped keeping track.
So the local news did it for them and found a great story:
INVESTIGATION: Are one community's red light cameras effective? | abcactionnews.com

[BucFan]

"To be fair, we're not talking about a great deal of statistical evidence. Just a handful of accidents compared over a 5-month period year to year" - says one article listed above.


Not very convincing. People learn not to tailgate and textmessage while driving.

Still think its a very good idea.

[Soorena]

a handful of accidents at a handful of intersections is plenty of evidence to me. I agree with you about tailgating and textmessaging, but speed cameras are not the solution to that problem.

[Kaiminani]

Originally Posted by BucFan

"To be fair, we're not talking about a great deal of statistical evidence. Just a handful of accidents compared over a 5-month period year to year" - says one article listed above.

Not very convincing. ...

Still think its a very good idea.

Ah truthiness!! You take the least of the examples and use it to justify dismissing all of the others. Meanwhile all those people who got into accidents that would have otherwise not have been injured, they should take comfort that at least its a very good idea.

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by BucFan

Yes, autobahns frequently have speedlimits - and cameras are on the autobahns a lot of the times.

Not sure how you can say that cameras cause more damage - do you have a link to stats?

It is true...just like with radar systems in cars...people hit the brakes when they think they see a camera..and when they see the lights come up on their radar detector. The radar system should be forbidden.

[BucFan]

One year later, red light cameras in Hillsborough County get mixed results

In 2010, special traffic cameras captured more than 30,000 people running red lights in Hillsborough County. Balistreri and others have paid $2.5 million in fines since the cameras arrived at the end of 2009 as part of a sweeping effort to reduce traffic fatalities.

Were lives saved?

So far, the evidence is less than staggering and, at times, conflicting.

At one Brandon intersection, crashes dropped by almost half.

At another intersection, they climbed by one-third.

One year later, red light cameras in Hillsborough County get mixed results - St. Petersburg Times

[num1baby]

I am not surprised that these cameras seem to cause more accidents. If you really think about it though, it is not the cameras causing the accidents, it is the drivers. The drivers slam on their brakes, the drivers who were driving to closely behind don't have time to stop. This morning I was driving to work in the rain. It wasn't a lot of rain, but the roads were wet and had standing water in spots. I had someone driving so closely behind me that I couldn't see his headlights. What did I do, I slowed down even more to give myself extra space to stop. That way I didn't have to slam on my brakes when the person in front of me slammed on theirs. I was able to slow down more naturally and the guy behind me had plenty of warning that we were stopping. Eventually the guy behind me backed off and I was able to speed up. Since I leave space in front of me while driving, people are able to move in to my lane without cutting me off and causing me to slam on my brakes. I have plenty of warning when the person in front of me is stopping so I don't have to slam on my brakes. When I stop behind a car at a red light, I still leave some space because if someone rear-ends me there is a smaller chance of me being shoved into the car in front of me. Also, people can take off from a stop much better if there is space between the cars which means more people can get through the light.
Leaving space between you and the car in front of you means that traffic will flow more smoothly. This means decreased gas usage, less wear and tear on your car, lower stress levels and fewer accidents. Space your cars out appropriately and you don't have to worry about the cameras because you will have plenty of time to stop and so will the car behind you.

[BucFan]

I'd take a rear end collision over a t-bone any day.