Photo Radar

[slim 1,533]

Do you know how many times I hear pedestrians being killed because of red light running, hmmmm?

How do red light cameras reduce pedestrian deaths?

Also, as shown above it would be difficult for a car to enter the intersection when the OP "ran the red light and the camera activated" from the crossing traffic side - are you saying a pedestrian (as in, a person on foot) could enter the intersection even faster?

Thanks, Rich. I've been thinking about parking near the light and timing it to see if it has a fast yellow. If traveling speed doesn't give enough time to cross through the intersection, then I think I would at least plead my case.

Now you're on the right track!

This is very frustrating, I am a regular cylist and I know how bad Americans are at approaching junctions. When on a bicycle you have to pay attention all the time because car drivers do not think anyone else will be on the crossing except themselves. Take responsibility for your bad driving and ###### improve!

Now the truth comes out and the obvious bias is making sense.

I have a buddy who is a "cyclist" and he too is always b!tching about how bad drivers are. Well, I'll remind you like I remind him - cars are bigger and weigh more, so who should be watching out for whom? I know you're on the right side of the law and all.... but uh,...... as you said above, if you don't like it, go join a campaign or something.

I'm just dying for your (why should I have to join a campaign when I'm already on the right side of the law?) retort so we can turn this thread into yet another guns thread.

[Peikko 1,575]

i see you didn't deny wearing a thong though, like the lass in the picture

If you want to picture an old fat lady in a thong on a bike that's your lookout.

[Ban Hammer 14,665]

If you want to picture an old fat lady in a thong on a bike that's your lookout.

i'll pass......

[slim 1,533]

Not sure if it is just me, but the damn lights always seem to wanna go yellow as soon as I am 15 feet in front of the light at the precise "do or die" moment, and my natural reflexes result in me hitting the brakes and coming to a rough stop instead of gently sliding through the intersection.

If you're at that do or die point when the light switches over, you're supposed to proceed through.

We're so conditioned to be scared of a ticket that we're stopping for yellows now. That's not the intent of the yellow light.

[Peikko 1,575]

How do red light cameras reduce pedestrian deaths?

Also, as shown above it would be difficult for a car to enter the intersection when the OP "ran the red light and the camera activated" from the crossing traffic side - are you saying a pedestrian (as in, a person on foot) could enter the intersection even faster?

Now you're on the right track!

Now the truth comes out and the obvious bias is making sense.

I have a buddy who is a "cyclist" and he too is always b!tching about how bad drivers are. Well, I'll remind you like I remind him - cars are bigger and weigh more, so who should be watching out for whom? I know you're on the right side of the law and all.... but uh,...... as you said above, if you don't like it, go join a campaign or something.

I'm just dying for your (why should I have to join a campaign when I'm already on the right side of the law?) retort so we can turn this thread into yet another guns thread.

Do you know how ridiculous you sound? Clearly not. The point is, people in cars should pay attention approaching junctions. I drive too, I make mistakes, I have run red lights and I know that if I am being honest about it, the reason I have run a light was BECAUSE I WAS NOT PAYING PROPER ATTENTION. I am lucky that my lack of attention has never resulted in an accident.

Of course, cyclists have to take care as well, to think they do not is utterly ridiculous. However, there is nothing that one can do when one is in the middle of a crossing when some jerk doesn't look to see if anyone is crossing and blithely drives straight at you.

[slim 1,533]

However, there is nothing that one can do when one is in the middle of a crossing when some jerk doesn't look to see if anyone is crossing and blithely drives straight at you.

You're saying there is something you can do - install red light camera systems. Are you not sticking to that now?

[Peikko 1,575]

You're saying there is something you can do - install red light camera systems. Are you not sticking to that now?

Did you read anything I wrote? No, I did not say more cameras should be installed, I said that people who get caught driving badly should take responsibility for driving badly and look to improve, not seek every and any excuse as to why they were not actually driving badly at all. This is what I see in this thread, a bunch of excuses for bad driving which is pathetic. I know we all drive badly some of the time, and I know that sometimes we can change our behaviours to drive better. Sometimes, it's just a combination of circumstances but that's much less common.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Well, if I did run a red light, I should pay. But I just don't remember it that way. I'm mostly concerned about how this will effect my insurance premiums.

Dam weed!

[slim 1,533]

Did you read anything I wrote? No, I did not say more cameras should be installed, I said that people who get caught driving badly should take responsibility for driving badly and look to improve,

So I'm confused here. We've already established that getting "caught" by a red light camera doesn't reduce pedestrian (or cyclist) deaths or reduce accidents at intersections with them so how are they supposed to help drivers "take responsibility" too?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

This is very frustrating, I am a regular cylist and I know how bad Americans are at approaching junctions. When on a bicycle you have to pay attention all the time because car drivers do not think anyone else will be on the crossing except themselves. Take responsibility for your bad driving and ###### improve!

That explains alot about why you're so in favor of drivers giving up their right to challenge tickets. Cyclists are the absolute worst when it comes to following traffic laws. In Colorado, most don't act like pedestrians nor like drivers, adhering to no guidance and behaving as if they are the lords of the road without respect for anyone else's rights to travel freely. Boulder has even codified some of this arrogance. I can just imagine what California cyclists are like - even worse.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

In Acapulco, Mexico their green light to red light system is different than ours.

Here we have a green light that WITHOUT WARNING changes to yellow for a couple seconds and then red. My natural reaction is to hit the brakes the second that yellow flashes. I can't count the number of times I've been 15-20 feet in front of the light and instinctively slammed my breaks to come to a screeching halt.

In Mexico (at least this town) they go from:

1) Green (go)

2) Flashing yellow for a few seconds (warning that light is about to go to solid yellow; no time to panic yet)

3) Solid yellow for a few seconds (now time to hit the brake pads)

4) Solid red (stop)

Their system is a lot smoother. No need to have knee-jerk reactions as soon as that light switches to yellow.

Not sure if it is just me, but the damn lights always seem to wanna go yellow as soon as I am 15 feet in front of the light at the precise "do or die" moment, and my natural reflexes result in me hitting the brakes and coming to a rough stop instead of gently sliding through the intersection.

Interesting. I agree that if the yellow means to stop, there should be some warning before it goes solid yellow.

[slim 1,533]

Interesting. I agree that if the yellow means to stop, there should be some warning before it goes solid yellow.

Yellow does not mean stop. This is why there are so many problems.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Yellow does not mean stop. This is why there are so many problems.

There are several photo radar cameras where I live, but I have never been ticketed for running a red light. Last night, I approached a familiar 4 lane intersection. As I crossed thru the ped walk, the light turned yellow. By the time I was 3/4 accross, the light was red, and I was going 40. Yellow lights have been shortened, to the driver's disadvantage.

[웃 910]

Yellow does not mean stop. This is why there are so many problems.

Meaning of a yellow light:

When I was 16-21 it meant gun it, pedal to the metal, make it through before it goes red. Most of the time I could look up at the last moment the light was visible and actually see the light switch to red before making it through the intersection.

Now, it means, if you think that while maintaining your current speed you will make it more than halfway through the light before it turns red then proceed with caution. Otherwise, slam those brakes.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Confucian

[one...two...tree 2,762]

There are several photo radar cameras where I live, but I have never been ticketed for running a red light. Last night, I approached a familiar 4 lane intersection. As I crossed thru the ped walk, the light turned yellow. By the time I was 3/4 accross, the light was red, and I was going 40. Yellow lights have been shortened, to the driver's disadvantage.

That's what I've been wondering.