Red Light Cameras

[montie]

Port Richey Fla, red light camera on main road, 45 MPH speed zone, I got caught running a light, question, how much time does the yellow light stay on from start to finish, and how much time does it require to stop a 42' motor home towing a car. I have a brake system that works on the 4200 pound car. When the video started it was 2 seconds before I was already at the stop strip on the road, I was just trying to figure out if the city has a trap for RV's and trucks. I remember running the light, there was no sign of a close call with another vehicle, I was out of the intersection with 5 seconds on the timer and had brakes applied. I did not have the brakes applied when I entered the intersection, I had already realized I could not stop.

[TombstoneJim]

Don't know about Fl but AZ it is 4 seconds by law.

[montie]

That would make it impossible to stop in a truck or motorhome that weights 35000 #'s right

[campcop]

Check out yellow light requirements in an AASHTO book. You can probably get one at a local library or at city traffic engineers office. This book is what cities and states go by..

Here in NM cities have started to use the red light cameras. There are and have been several court cases involving them, in Las Cruces, the city is owed about 1-2 million in fines already that folks refuse to pay...here its a civil penalty..

You can always demand a hearing, require all testing, calibration on the apparatus etc....

[dewat]

DC has been using red light cameras for years! They also have a large amount of fixed and mobile speed cameras deployed as well. Traffic citations are meant to discourage citizens from breaking traffic laws which can lead to other serious events, not as revenue generators. However with that said, DC has publicly said how they increase traffic enforcement and traffic fines as a means of bringing in additional cash. There was just a story in the news a couple weeks ago how a pickup truck legally parked was repeatedly ticketed because each time the speed camera on 16th Street in NW DC was triggered, it captured the parked pickup instead of the lane of travel. Of course the city fixed that by relocating (notice not removing) the speed camera. AAA has repeatedly bashed the city (DC) about how the cameras appear to be deployed based on amount of revenue to be generated (such as major thoroughfares OUT of the city) instead of safety, but DC just gives a song and dance while collecting $$$. Metropolitan Maryland and Virginia don't want to be left out of the cash loop, so they have really stepped up their photo enforement as well over the years.

[montie]

Thanks guys, I cannot afford to fight this, I am 1000 miles from there, so they know I will not come back by the court time. The reason I asked about the yellow time is I think this thing is to quick to stop and then it produces a ticket when it is clear a truck or large RV cannot stop. At 45 MPH it would be almost impossible to stop in 10 seconds, I watched the video several times, in six seconds I went through the light, and I remember I may have been able to slow down but I was not able to stop in that distance and time.

[Guest BillAdams]

Despite driving my 40,000 pound combined RV/toad, I have never NOT been able to stop when a light turned yellow UNLESS I did not see it change. We all get distracted and there have been times where I saw the light was green and then I saw that it was yellow, but I never actually saw it change. When this has happened I had to make a choice. Slam on the brakes and hope for the best or power up and, again, hope for the best. Thus far, I have lived to tell you this story but even a short lack of attention to the road ahead can have disastrous results.

[Saddletramp]

Sorry to hear about your ticket, best thing is to pay it. I live about 20 miles from the light you are talking about (US 19 and Ridge Rd. in Port Richey.) It is one of the highest money making lights in a 7 county area. On the other hand people have challanged it in court a number of times and lost, the state DOT inspectors have checked it quite a few times and found nothing wrong with it, it meets all stanards for traffic signals.

[phespe]

Don't know about your state but in NC

"Sensors in the roadway are connected to the red light camera and the traffic light controller. The camera is activated only when a vehicle enters the intersection after the light turns red.

http://www.hsrc.unc.edu/safety_info/traffic_operations/red_light_cameras.cfm

So in NC it makes no difference how long the Yellow" is.

phespe

Read more here:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/08/1114075/red-light-cameras-in-doubt.html#storylink=cpy

[/left]

[montie]

At 45 MPH how much distance and time does it take to stop your coach, I could have locked it up and maybe stop in the 6-10 seconds. I saw it change but I was close enough that I knew I could not stop.

[robertbeers]

In Redmond WA a study was made on the red light issue and they found it was causing more accidents then the old method so they are no longer monitored. Also with my new GPS it beeps when a camera is active in the area for red ligh or speed control. All of our school districts use auto cameras for speed control.

[dewat]

In Redmond WA a study was made on the red light issue and they found it was causing more accidents then the old method so they are no longer monitored. Also with my new GPS it beeps when a camera is active in the area for red light or speed control. All of our school districts use auto cameras for speed control.

We're hearing the same thing in the DC area. The increase in accidents is rear end accidents due to panic stops when the light turns yellow when one could have easily completed crossing the intersection due knowledge that the camera is there. That "problem" is disposed citing a decrease in T-bone accidents, and an overall decrease in injuries per accident (since there is more chance of getting injured from a T-bone accident versus a read-end accident). This the lessor of two evils. The Northern Virginia portion of Metropolitan Washington DC actually stopped using their red light cameras for a while, BUT, reactived them a couple years later. In our area, red light camera and speed cameras all have the same effect... now people are "gun shy" and slow down/brake, even when not necessary.

[AprilWhine]

You can download a POI for red light cameras and speed traps from http://www.poifactory.com. This is the only POI on the site that is not free.

[andyshane]

The wife and I talked about this, shared some memories of one town in NE Texas where we seemed to catch every red light. After two or three jarring stops, I "parked" in the slow lane at a little under the speed limit, life got easier.

It's not too hard to spot these units. I see their red light camera and raise them a 15-ton rolling speedbump

[campcop]

Redflex is the usual provider for the cameras, Google them for some interesting reading

[ahhalperin]

what gps beeps for red light cameras?

[andyj91711]

Not to sound like a renegade, but if you live 1000 miles away, why not ignore the ticket?

[andyj91711]

I have a Garmin Gps that beeps for cameras, gives traffic updates, and accepts voice commands. Bought it online for $150. It is much better than the one in my Infinity that does none of the above and takes me to the wrong address about 1/4 of the time - that gem cost about $2500. Go Garmin.

[QuiGonJohn]

Montie, you ought to look into one of these Traffic Ticket Attorneys. In FL, they easily get things thrown out and you may be able to hire one with a phone call and scanning documents back and forth via email or a fax. Below are a couple in that area:

http://speedingtickets.ticketvoid.com/lawyer/Port-Richey_Florida

http://www.fightyourtickets.com/cities_and_counties_we_service/pasco_county_florida.aspx

These usually run just under or just over $100 and may be worth it to keep points off your license.

[AprilWhine]

what gps beeps for red light cameras?

Any portable GPS will alert for a red light camera if you load the POI for it. I posted a link for the best POI site earlier.

[geraldhandritalhauser]

Staten Island, NY has many red light cameras. The yellow light length varies with the flow of traffic. If traffic is average, the yellow light lasts a few seconds. If traffic is heavy, there isn't any red light, it goes from green to red immediately. This happened to me, with no yellow light. Shortly afterwards, the local newspaper reported this yellow light interval as being variable. Of course if you already received a ticket, it did not help, the fine was paid. Nothing was retroactive.

[bpixley]

To calculate stopping distance, you look at different factors to estimate stopping distance:

Perception distance

+ Reaction distance

+ Brake lag distance

+ Effective braking distance

= TOTAL STOPPING DISTANCE

With air brakes there is an added delay: the time required for the brakes to work after the brake pedal is pushed. With air brakes, it takes time (up to one half second) for the air to flow through the lines to the brakes.

At 45 MPH, you are traveling at 66 feet per second.

Perception distance = 3/4 second or approx 50 feet.

Reaction distance = 3/4 second or approx 50 feet.

Brake lag distance = 1/2 second or 33 feet

Braking distance on dry pavement = approx 97 feet.

Total stopping distance = approx 230 feet

Now you look at how long was the light yellow.

A good reference for this information would be a commercial trucking drivers guide published by the DMV.

Bruce

[C-677946]

It is one of the highest money making lights in a 7 county area.

I like what Germany use to do. They could only use photo radar at intersections where there were a very large number of accidents. I don't know if that is the law over there any more, but it makes a lot of sense. Seems that we have to educate the legislators who create the law. They do work for us!

[pzollo]

Here is the best solution for that problem

http://shopping.photomaskcover.com/?matchtype=b&mobile=&creative=17285144353&keyword=license%20plate%20cover&placement=&gclid=CLmhhqnWtLACFQlN4AodFG-ZTQ

[chasweil44]

Parts of Los Angeles City and County are getting rid of their red light cameras. People were ignoring the tickets and the cameras were too expensive to maintain and the company in, I think Arizona, that collected the fees was keeping a bigger share of the fees that were paid so it wasn't cost effective for Los Angeles. So the city council decided to get rid of them. Good luck, if you have a good driving record, just pay the ticket, most are with no points or look into one of the traffic ticket attorneys out there. I agree, it is hard to stop something that weighs 20,000 pounds or more and if you have a tow vehicle, forget it. You will end up jackknifing the whole thing. Not good.