https://youtu.be/pH9dnJ8BmY0
Didn't LA get rid of their cameras recently? Linked a YouTube video about this from an engineer.
Californian Roads Could Soon Have Speed Cameras Issuing Tickets
61–68 of 68 posts
Re: Californian Roads Could Soon Have Speed Cameras Issuing Tickets
#62Of all the places I'd expect negative reactions to this, I'm shocked HN is one of them. This is automation of a dangerous job that is expensive to pay the labor costs of. That's our thing , folks! That's what tech is all about! If you think the speed limits should be higher so you can drive faster, fine, but that's completely orthogonal to the point here. Better enforcement of road laws, fewer police deaths from road…
> If you think the speed limits should be higher so you can drive faster, fine, but that's completely orthogonal to the point here.
But putting in place a system which distorts incentives around setting speed limits, seems like a bad idea.
Just like how yellow/caution light times were shortened where there were red light cameras. The financial incentives made intersections less safe.
Same with cameras. People learn where they are and engage in unexpected breaking to avoid fines.
And, btw, same argument could be made for cameras on sidewalks to do facial recognition and drug use.
Friction in law enforcement is a feature, not a bug.
Re: Californian Roads Could Soon Have Speed Cameras Issuing Tickets
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
and companies who install the cameras win big, while people who don't have their sh*t together enough to fill out the required I'm-poor forms correctly get screwed.
I don't follow, does being poor give you a right to ignore the speed limit?
The fine article says that the fines will be reduced based on the speeder's ability to pay, comrade.
I'm dubious of schemes that have disparate impact based on the target's ability to bring about change-- good at politics and paperwork? reduced fine. Not so good? continued death by 1000 bureaucratic cuts.
I'm also dubious of schemes that have low to zero enforcement costs, since the allocation of enforcement resources is one of the most important protections to assure that state intrusion is being directed to matters of actual public consequence.
I'm all for ticketing drivers who are putting the public at risk, but if the risk they're creating isn't worth deploying a citing officer is it really worth the imposition on the recipient of the citation?
and I'm also pretty dubious of schemes with latency and ones where you'll get tripped up without random local knowledge. Go to visit a friend in another city then end up with a dozen fines and a suspended license before you know what hit you.
... and lets not even get into the latent surveillance potential, mass monitoring people's movements on an industrial scale at low marginal cost.
Re: Californian Roads Could Soon Have Speed Cameras Issuing Tickets
#64It would be amazing if speeding was enforced 100%, and then the official limits were pushed up where needed. This business where everyone drives above the limit and cops enforce when they feel like it is annoying and is a big enabler of bias in policing.
100% agreed. Speed limits in their current state are infuriating. They are there, so you're _supposed_ to follow them, but nobody does, not even off-duty police, until someone is patrolling, at which point everyone drives ten under the limit at the checkpoint, only to go 15-30 over seconds later.
Of course, if YOU try following the limits, even on the rightmost lane, lots of drivers will drive aggressively around you as if you're the one in the wrong!
Re: Californian Roads Could Soon Have Speed Cameras Issuing Tickets
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Enforcement is part of good government and good civil engineering.
Good civil engineering is invisible deterrence. Cities insist on putting overbuilt 4+ lane stroads in neighborhoods with speed limits set far lower than they're designed for. This is what causes people to speed. Speeding seems safe and ok until they run over a pedestrian and/or miss a stop or yield sign that is far out of the field of view of the driver. Stroads are also bad for pedestrian safety in general even if n…
I agree that we shouldn't build stroads, but all of California is not going to remove their stroads overnight. In the meantime, enforcing the speed limit would be nice.
Re: Californian Roads Could Soon Have Speed Cameras Issuing Tickets
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
It will lead to a reduction of speeding. And the people who do speed will at least pay for some of their negative externalities.
Unfortunately I cannot read the article -- do the fines really go towards the victims of excessive speed (the negative externalities, like in a trust fund) or to the state general fund + company providing the hardware and software?
I doubt that they go to the specific victims because that would require a ton of bureaucracy. But giving back to society at large is better than nothing.
Re: Californian Roads Could Soon Have Speed Cameras Issuing Tickets
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
I like traffic calming too, but sometimes people really do go faster than is safe, even on narrow, windy roads with obstacles. Also if they are used on the highway then traffic calming isn't that applicable. I don't think you have a reasonable expectation of privacy when you're driving your licensed car on a public road anyways.
you have never dealt with crooked local law enforcement, it seems; or a local District Attorney who has an ex-wife; or the mysteriously calm, cool and collected insurance inspectors with perfect records. money outside of the big city can make very unlikely partnerships
I am not sure what you're getting at.
Re: Californian Roads Could Soon Have Speed Cameras Issuing Tickets
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If you just send the ticket to whomever is the easiest to target (regardless of guilt), then it’s more about revenue than safety. If you lend your car to someone, you are taking responsibility for the way they drive that car. If you can't do that, you shouldn't lend them your car.
> If you lend your ____ to someone, you are taking responsibility No I’m not, they are.
You should not lend a car to somebody that you cannot trust to act responsibly with it.