Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#51

Post by MrSourz » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:39 PM UTC

I find the news article rather sensationalist, because the reductions on the yellow light timing are now based off the limit rather than the greater of the limit or average speed. While this does increase the number of ticketed incidents it

It seems reasonable to ticket those who would be impacted by this, for if the forumla is correct it should just impact speeders.

I agree with the sentiment shared by others that the all stop time should stay the same to protect drivers from the speeders.

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#52

Post by dbrian » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:39 PM UTC

doki_pen wrote: post #34

georgemcbay wrote: post #21

I work close to a fairly rare "no right on red" (in California right on red is legal unless signs prohibit it) intersection. Without fail, near the end of the month there will be a cop car sitting under the bridge overlooking the turn for hours just waiting for someone to make the turn. Shamelessly sitting there, in the dark and under a bridge, blocking half the rightmost lane of a busy street, causing a far greater…

It is a common misconception that officers have quotas to issue a certain amount of tickets per month. The quota is actual for how many traffic stops they make. You'll see behavior like this from cops who haven't met their quota, but it's not about the money.

Maybe not in large cities with some sort of oversight but in small rural towns with only 2 or 3 cops, it helps pay for their jobs and keeps them employed.

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#53

Post by mos2 » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:39 PM UTC

I know this has been done in Sacramento for years. Yellow Lights at large higher speed (40mph) intersections (like Fair Oaks and Howe) have the yellow light set at the CalTrans minimum safe approach speed, which is often 25 mph. This is on a double lane left turn with traffic at or above the posted speed limit.

Good luck fighting that ticket, well within the California State law.

Too bad they don't have to set the yellow light timing consistantly. That probally wouldn't give you the 2x increase in citations.

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#54

Post by SonicSoul » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:40 PM UTC

thrownaway2424 wrote: post #30

georgemcbay wrote: post #21

I work close to a fairly rare "no right on red" (in California right on red is legal unless signs prohibit it) intersection. Without fail, near the end of the month there will be a cop car sitting under the bridge overlooking the turn for hours just waiting for someone to make the turn. Shamelessly sitting there, in the dark and under a bridge, blocking half the rightmost lane of a busy street, causing a far greater…

So you sympathize with people who can't be bothered to observe posted traffic regulations?

he's pointing out the irony cops endangering traffic safety in supposed aim of improving traffic safety

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#55

Post by jlgreco » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:40 PM UTC

chm wrote: post #45

thrownaway2424 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After you turn 14 you'll realize there is actually never an appropriate moment for an Ayn Rand quote.

I have never read Ayn Rand, but I have heard of her before. Why are such quotes inappropriate?

People object to Ayn Rand quotes because they believe her politics to be naive, or her fiction to be heavy-handed. I cannot speak to either of those things one way or the other.

Even giving these things, these are of course no reason to never quote her. Hell, there is a time and a place for quoting even Himmler.

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#56

Post by cobrausn » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:41 PM UTC

thrownaway2424 wrote: post #30

georgemcbay wrote: post #21

I work close to a fairly rare "no right on red" (in California right on red is legal unless signs prohibit it) intersection. Without fail, near the end of the month there will be a cop car sitting under the bridge overlooking the turn for hours just waiting for someone to make the turn. Shamelessly sitting there, in the dark and under a bridge, blocking half the rightmost lane of a busy street, causing a far greater…

So you sympathize with people who can't be bothered to observe posted traffic regulations?

And despite all these tickets being issued in the name of 'safety', people still continue to slightly miss the yellow, not quite come to a complete stop before turning right, and fail to make a snap judgement correct 100% of the time. The accident rate remains fairly constant or goes up as the city rakes in millions (and the company that makes the camera gets theirs as well, which can be used to lobby for more cameras).

100% enforcement of traffic laws calculated with machine precision is mindbogglingly stupid, and proponents willfully bury their heads in the sand regarding the conflict of interest and the eventual outcome of such an arrangement. So yes, I sympathize with people committing what amounts to normal human error, and despise those who seek to profit off of it.

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#57

Post by talmand » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:41 PM UTC

thrownaway2424 wrote: post #40

roboneal wrote: post #27

An appropriate partial quote of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged: “Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken." "But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt."

After you turn 14 you'll realize there is actually never an appropriate moment for an Ayn Rand quote.

After you become an adult you'll realize that being smug does no one any good.

Any quote has an appropriate moment when it directly relates to the topic at hand, despite where it originated from.

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#58

Post by jrajav » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:41 PM UTC

thrownaway2424 wrote: post #40

roboneal wrote: post #27

An appropriate partial quote of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged: “Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken." "But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt."

After you turn 14 you'll realize there is actually never an appropriate moment for an Ayn Rand quote.

And at another point, possibly later, you realize that blind rejection is just as intellectually lazy as blind acceptance.

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#59

Post by scragg » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:41 PM UTC

I despise these traffic cameras. They are popping up everywhere in the DFW area. So many people I know get rolling right on red tickets... it's absolute BS. It has nothing to do with safety and everything about money. There are so many instances where you can check if it's safe to make a right without having to make your wheels completely stop. I can't imagine many accidents being caused by a vehicle moving https://plus.google.com/115905827925711420560/posts/LauLtrvS...

Example of a right turned that ended in a photo enforced ticket.

Edit: fixed the link.

Re: Florida shortened yellow lights to increase red light camera revenue [video]

#60

Post by thrownaway2424 » Tue, May 14, 2013, 8:42 PM UTC

SonicSoul wrote: post #54

thrownaway2424 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you sympathize with people who can't be bothered to observe posted traffic regulations?

he's pointing out the irony cops endangering traffic safety in supposed aim of improving traffic safety

Is there a reason to believe that the police are trying to improve _traffic_ safety at this place? Perhaps they are trying to prioritize _pedestrian_ safety. That is, after all, why most no-turn-on-red signs are installed in California.