No One Argues And Wins On RBPD Red Light Cameras

[tcrashfx]

No One Argues And Wins On Red Bank Red Light Cameras
Cameras May Also Be Used For Speeding Enforcement

by Hannah Campbell
posted March 20, 2007

No one who has argued about a ticket from the Red Bank red light cameras has won their case, Debbie Renfro, administrative assistant to the Red Bank Police Department, told the Red Bank Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.

Ms. Renfro laddressed the public’s concerns with Red Bank’s Red Light Camera Photo Enforcement Program.

“This thing is watching you seven days a week, 24 hours a day. You’re going to slow down if you don’t want to get caught,” she said.

The cameras take pictures of cars running red lights. Ms. Renfro said a photograph is only taken if all four of a car’s wheels have crossed the white stop line. It does not take a photograph if the light turns red after the car has entered the intersection. Staff review the camera’s footage to double check it, and a ticket is sent to the registered car owner.

chattanoogan.com/articles/article_103930.asp

[Deleted]

City commissioner Pat Brown pointed out that wrecks have decreased by 60% and speed through the intersections of interest has dropped by 50% even though the cameras monitor but do not ticket for speed.

He continued, saying that speeding is still a problem in the city, and he suggested redesignating pot-holes as speed humps thereby instantly making us a leading speed-reduction-promoting city.


I'm not making this stuff up.

[staffsgtsbunny]

Atlanta has got these things popping up everywhere, but one in particular started it in an incredibly busy intersection. Now there are reports that it's causing more harm than good during the busy hours as people are rear-ending each other left and right.....

*shrug*

They'll not be removing it any time soon, if ever, though......

[tcrashfx]

Judge Houston Says Videos Don't Lie On Red Light Tickets

posted March 21, 2007

Red Bank City Judge Johnny Houston said most of those with "red light" tickets who view the videos decide not to contest it.

He said he does not believe tickets are issued in cases where there are "close calls" but where there is a clear violation.

He said, "I have been the judge in Red Bank since August of last year and in that length of time not one single red light case has been heard.

"Not one".

chattanoogan.com/articles/article_104015.asp

[Deleted]

> He said he does not believe tickets are issued in cases where there are "close calls" but where there is a clear violation.

That's what they (commission / police) had said way back when they first installed the devices - that tickets would not be issued for questionable calls. ALL violations are reviewed by a police type person before citations are issued. And yes, violators are welcome to view their video.

[el Gusano]

I've never written a ticket to a red-light runner that was contested, and they are done the same way. Except, the close calls are contacted by the Troopers and lectured, even though they don't get the ticket.

I had one man recently who claimed that he didn't realize that you were supposed to stop for a school bus with its lights on and stop sign out. I believe him because he pulled up behind me, stopped briefly, then cautiously proceeded to pass me while dodging the 4 students who were crossing the road. (BTW, he got a ticket.)

[Justin Thyme]

sgtsbunny said:

Now there are reports that it's causing more harm than good during the busy hours as people are rear-ending each other left and right.....

I don't know that I'd say it's causing more harm than good just because there is an increase in rear-end collisions. From what I understand the number of serious injuries from accidents at red lights has gone down. Also, fewer pedestrians are being struck. We had been killing at least one pedestrian a day. It seems like that number has gone down.

[Babs]

I don't see how in the world anyone could argue about it. When I got one months ago, it was obvious that the light was red and I was going through it. I thought that I could make the yellow, but it was raining and I didn't want to hit the brakes. (Also, I had forgotten about the camera). The ones on the S curves are installed, and I assume they are working.

[tcrashfx]

Now there are reports that it's causing more harm than good during the busy hours as people are rear-ending each other left and right.....

Yea, people just always assume the dude in front of them is gonna run the light too!

Next on the LE technology horizon......."Driving With Head Up Ass Cams".

Now that is gonna generate some revenue.

[Longshot! [ Saint ]]

sgtsbunny said:

Atlanta has got these things popping up everywhere, but one in particular started it in an incredibly busy intersection. Now there are reports that it's causing more harm than good during the busy hours as people are rear-ending each other left and right.....

*shrug*

They'll not be removing it any time soon, if ever, though......

--


Same thing happens at intersections with New red lights; it's expected by Traffic Engineers, and it will go down as people now obey posted signs and signals.

Letting it go unabated is clearly not much of an answer, so I do not argue the accidents caused by the people the devices were put in place for, in the first place.

[Copperhead]

I haven't heard anything about the cameras on the S-curves being operational yet. I was expecting a news story or a sign posted at either end of the piece of road being monitored alerting drivers to the cameras. Nonetheless, I am more carefully monitoring my speed through the curves.

[el Gusano]

LE question: Can bus drivers there write tickets?

Can and do parents who are witnesses to red-light runners play into the equation?

[tcrashfx]

LE question: Can bus drivers there write tickets?

Any citizen of Tennessee can write a ticket. The whole citizen arrest thing still works here.

I gotta extra ticket book, if anyone wants to borrow it.

[Deleted]

Gosh, don't tell CC. He'll want a case of the suckers for people who park illegally in handicapped spots.





and I'll help him if he gets writers' cramp.
I assume we'll have to show up in court too, eh?

[tcrashfx]

I assume we'll have to show up in court too, eh?

Yea, there is the whole innocent until proven guilty thing.

But court can be entertaining. Kinda like Jerry Springer, Live!

[el Gusano]

I've had one almost go to court. Until the guy found out that about half a dozen witnesses came forward who saw him.

Everyone else made a plea. Some of them were simply released with a warning, and I don't object to any of those cases.

However, the guy who stopped behind me last week, then signaled and passed as I was offloading kids... he needs a little more than a warning.

Most of those who sheepishly admit they did it and don't have a long history of driving offenses are usually let go with a warning, unless it's particularly bad. The ones who wave at me as they pass get me.

Get witnesses and write tickets.

[one]

What I wanna know is if they give tickets to people who turn left on green in front of the waffle house. The sign clearly says no turn on green, wait for arrow....... However people will literally get out and berate you for stopping and waiting when the coast is clear.

[tcrashfx]

The sign clearly says no turn on green, wait for arrow.......

Actually is says, "Protected turn with green arrow only" which means that if the through northbound light is green but the green arrow is off, you must yield to southbound Dayton Blvd. traffic. While the green arrow is "On", the southbound Dayton Blvd. traffic should be (If they are abiding by the law) stopped for their red light.

I can see why one would be berated for stopping at a green light!

[staffsgtsbunny]

The thing is this one particular red light has had a camera at if for at least three years now if not longer, and the rear-endings have gotten worse. People stop at YELLOW lights instead of the red, when someone runs the red they know they're done for, but when the light turns YELLOW that's when people panic.

As far as pedestrians being hit at this intersection, they've not had that issue that much in the past.

When the front end of the car is past the white line so far and the light turns red, that's when the ticket is issued.

I firmly believe the reason for the increase is due to the increase of population here.....we're up to 5 million, and the fact that we have a HUGE Hispanic population that cannot read road signs, can not drive vehicles and don't have the licenses to do so. We also had a huge influx in the population when Katrina took it's toll.

It's a mess, either way one looks at it.