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DomImus -> RE: Red Light Camera footage (4/23/2011 7:00:02 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Hillwilliam
Here is my prob with the cameras (3 actually)
1. No due process. The owner of the car pays a fine whether he was driving or not (at least here). I don't have a prob paying for my mistakes but not those of others. If someone else is driving my car, why should I pay their tickets? That's liberal thinking. "someone made a mistake. It might have been you or maybe it wasn't but you pay. They say you can get them dismissed. That is BS. we had a guy who proved, by showing the police report, that his car was stolen before it ran a light. the sheriff even got involved. He finally paid up after a collection agency hurt his credit. It just wasn't worth $100. this guy was a victim twice. Once when his car was stolen and then when he was extorted.
2. The cameras don't treat everyone the same. If you just bought your car and have a temp tag, you get away scot free. Same for folks who drive with stolen tags (more than you would realize) or who have tags obscured by mud or snow.
3. They take the mark 1 mod 0 eyeball out of the equation.
I dare you to be able to read your newspaper and not find a story about a routine traffic stop that turns into an arrest for DUI, wanted felon, drugs, stolen property or etc.
In the OP, how many of those drivers do you think were drunk off their ass? I'd bet a very high percentage. The ones who weren't involved in collisions went home, slept it off and when they got the ticket in the mail I bet they said "Holy SHIT I'm glad that wasn't a cop"
The more cameras there are, the fewer police are involved in traffic stops and the more drunk drivers will drink again to maybe kill next time.
Firstly, let me say I am not some hard line advocate of red light cameras. While I do believe they are more useful than not - I have seen dangerous intersections here locally become seemingly less dangerous after the cameras were installed - I am not some flag waver in favor of them. I only posted the video because I thought it was a real eye opener that might make people approach intersections with more care. The whole red light camera aspect of the video is really of secondary importance. That being said I'd like to address your points:
1. Yes, there are problems with the system. A driver whose car was ticketed while I mechanic ran a red light whilst test driving the vehicle after repairs had a hell of a time getting the fine removed. It does happen.
2. Temp tags, stolen tags, obscured plates. So you don't want legitimate red light runners to pay a fine just because someone else might get away with it? That's like saying nobody should get a speeding ticket since every foot of highway in America is not adequately patrolled by police with radar guns so there must be someone somewhere who is speeding unabated. Ten drivers may fly past a cop at the speed of sound - if you do it also and he busts you, you were guilty. It's really irrelevant what the other drivers were doing although it sounds like a compelling "the other kids were doing it" argument.
3. I did not understand point #3 as English is my native language. The paragraph that followed it seemed to imply that you were again trying to apply the logic you used in point #2 and I have already addressed that. There is no data that indicates that municipalities have had significant layoffs of police officers after purchasing and implementing red light cameras. It's an additional tool, not a replacement tool and it can catch many more offenders at a given intersection than one officer could possibly ever catch so it's far more efficient.
Edited to add: This whole "I dare you" strategy already backfired on you once in this thread yet you insist on employing it. Interesting.
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