Red light RUNNERS!

Missyl1713

Missyl1713

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I need to vent, please be patient! :) our board bro Billy, a 33 year rider was hit by apparently a red light running car. He ok thank goodness! But it pushed a button on a topic that really torques me off. I've been an electrician that works on traffic signals for more then 18 years. I work in intersections every day. And every day, several times a day, I see drivers run reds. I believe in red light cameras. I wish they had them at EVERY intersection. These people who complain about them, or make up conspiracy theories that we shorten the yellows..PLEASE! Yea, we make the intersection more dangerous JUST to make a buck. NOT! It's VERY simple people. When it turns yellow, slow the heck down and STOP at the red!!! I've seen, and heard, about so Manu accidents, some fatal, just because people are in such a hurry to get somewhere. Folks, no where is SO important that it's worth injuring or killing yourself or others to get their!!!!
 
Missyl1713 said:
I need to vent, please be patient! :) our board bro Billy, a 33 year rider was hit by apparently a red light running car. He ok thank goodness! But it pushed a button on a topic that really torques me off. I've been an electrician that works on traffic signals for more then 18 years. I work in intersections every day. And every day, several times a day, I see drivers run reds. I believe in red light cameras. I wish they had them at EVERY intersection. These people who complain about them, or make up conspiracy theories that we shorten the yellows..PLEASE! Yea, we make the intersection more dangerous JUST to make a buck. NOT! It's VERY simple people. When it turns yellow, slow the heck down and STOP at the red!!! I've seen, and heard, about so Manu accidents, some fatal, just because people are in such a hurry to get somewhere. Folks, no where is SO important that it's worth injuring or killing yourself or others to get their!!!!
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Haileyan said:
This is also one of my biggest pet peeves. I am all for red light cameras. I am the person those cameras are there to protect.
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Well while red light cameras have their merit, once you associate a financial gain for the company installing them then you really have to question the motive. It's been proven time and time again that lengthening the duration of the yellow by a couple of seconds is what helps the most.

And nothing is going to protect you against the cell phone talking or texting or person playing with the radio that just runs the light...that's the "real" problem...:2cents:
 
Actually, the percentage cut down in side impact accidents and tickets issued was NOT cut down by a larger percentage then red light cameras. The truth is the red light cameras make money for the first month or so, but very little "profit" after that. There is a formula required by MUTCD to use in yellow time programming, and you CANNOT do under that amount of time. See, there is a LOT of misinformation out there on this very subject, and everyone spouts it off as fact. The FACT is people do not STOP when they should. And I have NO sympathy for people who get citations for running a red light. In my opinion it's very simple, government should not have to continually re-engineer things to protect people from other peoples stupidity.
 
Missyl1713 said:
Actually, the percentage cut down in side impact accidents and tickets issued was NOT cut down by a larger percentage then red light cameras. The truth is the red light cameras make money for the first month or so, but very little "profit" after that. There is a formula required by MUTCD to use in yellow time programming, and you CANNOT do under that amount of time. See, there is a LOT of misinformation out there on this very subject, and everyone spouts it off as fact. The FACT is people do not STOP when they should. And I have NO sympathy for people who get citations for running a red light. In my opinion it's very simple, government should not have to continually re-engineer things to protect people from other peoples stupidity.
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Oh trust me I have no sympathy for idiots that run red lights for whatever reason (running late, talking on the phone, playing with the radio, etc.). I just question the way they go about installing these devices. You have to admit that having a private company install and maintain these red light cameras does send up a red flag with people. Let's face it anytime someone can profit from something they are going to find a way to maximize that profit. In my eyes it's really not much different than if you were to privatize the police force and they had a profit incentive for writing out tickets...guess what would happen (rhetorical question).
 
No amount of studies, technology or statistics will fix this. No matter what you put in place, people will still run the red lights. It is human nature for a lot of people. Those people do not prepare and are always in a hurry. It is the way they live and it is with complete disregard of any other human life because THEIRS is more important than yours.

If you put up the camera, you'll catch them and ticket them. They MIGHT be inclined to not do it again at THAT intersection, but they will at most others unless you can blanket that driver's ENTIRE daily migration area with a camera at every single light. Typically, those cameras only end up in problem areas where accidents occur on a frequent basis. They are expensive and take a long time to recoup the costs.

If you shorten/lengthen the yellow, they will acclimate to it and still try and time it. The yellow is not the problem OR the solution. What works better and is used in most of NH is a longer delay in turning the other side GREEN after the moving side has gone to RED. It's a longer pause that lets those A-Holes who run the light actually run it but holds up the cross-traffic so they are not venturing out into the intersection at that critical moment the A-Hole is blowing through.

For me, I do not care what color the light is... I look both ways and if someone is coming toward their red and looking like it would be hard for them to stop, I wait them out. GREEN does not always mean GO, but more like.... Proceed safely!"
 
This is how I think as well, and to add to that..why do some people who drive the same intersection everyday, just like everyone else, never get red light tickets? Simply because they PAY ATTENTION and OBEY the law! No matter how you slice it, running a red is running a red and there is no one to blame but yourself.
Just a few months ago I noticed an intersection in flash down the street, when I got there I found a pole knocked down, a woman in a small SUV had ran the left turn red, with her 9 year old son, and infant in the car. They got hit at 65 miles an hour. When I checked them, the woman was very obviously dead, as well as her son, and the infant although breathing didn't look good at all. They all died because something to her was so important she had to run it. My stomach still turns when I think about it.
 
NJFZ1 said:
Well while red light cameras have their merit, once you associate a financial gain for the company installing them then you really have to question the motive. It's been proven time and time again that lengthening the duration of the yellow by a couple of seconds is what helps the most.

And nothing is going to protect you against the cell phone talking or texting or person playing with the radio that just runs the light...that's the "real" problem...:2cents:
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I do not propose that cameras are the only solution. I can tell you that when I see cameras up on those poles (and I do look for them) I pay extra attention to the color of that light. The yellows oftent times are indeed way to short. But if you lengthen them people get used to it, adapt and start to think that they have even more time to run through.

I also do not like the idea of it being a profit center. I would like to see the system be non-profit and donate all extra income to a charity of some sort.
 
I beleive that people who do this are habitual. Hit them in their pocket and they may start to pay attention.

As for phones, I think it should voluntary mansaughter if you can prove that someone was texting or on the phone when they kill someone in an accident. Hell they made the choice to pick the device up and use it. They might as well have chosen to pull a trigger.
 
Haileyan said:
...
I also do not like the idea of it being a profit center. I would like to see the system be non-profit and donate all extra income to a charity of some sort.
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Unfortunately that will never happen and that is my biggest gripe with them. The companies running them and the local politicians want them to be cash cows...they just use public safety as the excuse to install them. Their benefit to safety is not clear in many studies that have been conducted over the years.
 
I agree with FZ1inNH. No matter what you do, people who are going to run red lights are going to run them... so all you can do as far as programming the lights is give more time between one light going red and the next going green. Personally I NEVER trust drivers to obey traffic devices or signs, particularly when I'm on my bike. I slow down at every intersection to check traffic from all directions and don't leave a green light until I see that intersecting traffic has stopped. I also do not ride next to a cager if I can help it and try to stay far behind and in view of their mirrors when I'm behind them. Defensive riding is the only way to stay alive on a bike in a world of cagers.
 
If they set up intersections like a draw-bridge no body would run reds...lol.

But seriously, I too like the idea of well set up red light cameras, but I think that a speed camera at an intersection is just plain stupid, and around here they are combined.

People should not be looking at their speedo on approach to an intersection. They should be looking up ahead for pedestrians, red light runners, push bike riders....everything.

Instead nowadays everyone is looking at the dash inside their cars......safety....pffft! Riiiiight!

Another bit of info, you all probably know and do anyway, is to look before you leap. It's all very well to be in the right, but I'd rather be alive and delayed by a second and check the approaches to and intesection before I launch from the lights. Especially at night on my way home from work at midnight. All it takes is one dufus trying to impress his girl to wipe you out.

Look both ways at intersections....I even look up sometimes....I don't trust any of them.
 
One thing I am always wary of are traffic lights.
The main reason I have been like this for so many years is that back in 1977 a mate of mine worked with a 17 year old fella who was run over by a truck on his Suzuki GT750 at a intersection on his way to work and yes the truck driver ran a red light.
From what my mate was told there wasn't that much of him left either.
My thought is always check as you approach a intersection that all cars are completely stopped. If you stop at the lights look to make sure all cars are stopped before you take off.
That's all I have to say about that!
 
not until govt uses Bollards instead of cameras can they say it is for safety

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCSsope5vOA&feature=related]YouTube - Oh, Bollards![/ame]
 
I change my vote. I 100% agree with using this as a revenue generation source for local government.. Especially right now with all levels of government in the red.

I would much rather people breaking the law pay than have my taxes go up.
 
Haileyan said:
I change my vote. I 100% agree with using this as a revenue generation source for local government.. Especially right now with all levels of government in the red.

I would much rather people breaking the law pay than have my taxes go up.
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I'm sorry, but I totally disagree with you. Local governments need to become more efficient like the private sector, not come up with another way of sucking in more of the public's money...just my :2cents:

A perfect example to me is what happened here in NJ with DMV. When it was run by the state it was a nightmare. For something as simple as a registration renewal you were in there for 2-3 hours. It's been a few years since they privatized it and now you're in and out in 30-45 minutes even when transferring title and getting new registration and plates at the same time...now that's progress!
 
Running red lights is running red lights. At some point you have to take responsibility for yourself. It isn't the "inefficiency" of government. And I resent that remark also. Right now we are busting our asses with less and less. Don't lump all government into one pot. If you follow the rules, your not giving up any extra money to the government right? No breaking the law, no tickets! Simple!
 
Missyl1713 said:
I need to vent, please be patient! :) our board bro Billy, a 33 year rider was hit by apparently a red light running car. He ok thank goodness! But it pushed a button on a topic that really torques me off. I've been an electrician that works on traffic signals for more then 18 years. I work in intersections every day. And every day, several times a day, I see drivers run reds. I believe in red light cameras. I wish they had them at EVERY intersection. These people who complain about them, or make up conspiracy theories that we shorten the yellows..PLEASE! Yea, we make the intersection more dangerous JUST to make a buck. NOT! It's VERY simple people. When it turns yellow, slow the heck down and STOP at the red!!! I've seen, and heard, about so Manu accidents, some fatal, just because people are in such a hurry to get somewhere. Folks, no where is SO important that it's worth injuring or killing yourself or others to get their!!!!
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100% in agreement.
 
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