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I think red-light cameras should be accompanied by timers showing how many seconds until the light turns red. If people know it'll take them 10 seconds to get through an intersection, then they'll have to stop before that. :)
 
Actually, a quick google will present you with enough overwhelming data to keep you reading for a whole week!
Perhaps. As I said before quagmire was speaking authoritatively. I thought he misght be able to point out some studies of speed camera ineffectiveness.

Be careful with "I've never" and "would easily be avoided" when it comes to driving: one day you may find yourself in a situation of cascading events where simplistic theories will not suffice.
Given "I've never" is past tense I don't think I need to be careful at all. Impressive hypothetical although it that has nothing to do with the situations bought up by either quagmire or carlgo about speed or red light cameras as we are discussing though :confused:....

Bottom line: all these money making stop-gap, fake "solutions" will never significantly reduce anything in this country. Actual driver training (which this country has NEVER officially had), and graduated/tiered licensing is the ONLY way things will ever change. (And sadly, that will probably never happen: it would mean millions of people would never be able to drive -- my dream world :)
Odd "bottom line" given that Rodimus Prime just posted that speed cameras reduced deaths at his specific intersection.

Here are some good studies from the Monash university accident research centre. Worth a read.

http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/reports/muarc201.html

http://www.monash.edu.au/muarc/reports/muarc242.html


JoeG4 said:
I think red-light cameras should be accompanied by timers showing how many seconds until the light turns red. If people know it'll take them 10 seconds to get through an intersection, then they'll have to stop before that.
Some of the lights in europe have this both for cars and pedestrians. I found it wonderful in both regards :).
 
At least you guys are lucky that you didn't get a ticket for a "Red Light Camera" that took shots of people during a green light.

I had a friend got a ticket like that, he camped out in front of the same intersection for 2 hours and video taped the next happening of the incident and presented it in court. Talk about commitment lol
 
Haha reminds me of when i got a seatbelt ticket in high school for pulling off the curb and driving 10 feet while putting it on. The court was not as nice as this one.
 
More cameras and surveillance from the government are such a wonderful thing. Of course all that politicians want is your best, they would never even think of going for your money or anything. Step in line, go shopping, watch TV and sleep tight. You are such a wonderful citizen.
 
If you're prone to a lot of tickets in the UK, and I know some people who take one every week or two, take a Ferry over to N Ireland and buy your next car from there and come home. They'll still ticket you, but because of your registration it gets lost in the system. (N Ireland have a seperate uncoordinated vehicle licensing dept: DVLNI) I've not had any enforcement or follow up from a parking ticket in over 3 years now living in Edinburgh with a N Ireland license plate.

I read a while back that they were trying to have an EU wide co-ordination for tickets - to stop travellers from getting off. But from what I can see it's not very effective.
 
Great story.

I successfully contested a traffic violation ticket once. The violation was "straddling the lane" in Burbank. I hate Burbank cops! It was impossible to straddle the lane in such a short distance from where I had turned right to where I turned left - unless I was drunk. I showed up to court with pictures and prints of Google satellite images. All the cop said was, "I don't recall." C'mon! :mad:
I saw him outside and stepped right behind him as he walked down the steet. He turned around and saw me all pissed off. But I didn't make eye contact. He got a little on guard. I went on my way. Ha! That bastard.
 
100% quagmire. We are the worst, lowest skilled driving country in the world... I'll stop here 'cuz I could write a treatise on that!

I almost spit my coffee all over my computer when I read this... I hope you someday get the opportunity to drive in a middle eastern country.

BTW, I think we've completely hijacked this thread...

I had plenty of time to think your post over today during my hour commute in Cairo traffic to get to work, and my 1.5hr commute to return home. Due to differing routes my commute is approximately 20mi to work and 13mi on the trip home, and no, that's not backwards.

During my commute today I witnessed three traffic accidents, had at least seven cars come to a complete stop in front of me in the middle lane of the road for no apparent reason, was cut off countless times by cars that were turning left from the far right lane (or vice versa) without any regard to who was still moving straight and watched in awe as dozens of cars, buses and fully loaded dump trucks backed up on the highway because they missed their exit. I regularly watch people dive in front of traffic to get across the road (check out this link: Crossing the Roads in Cairo). Should I also mention the donkey carts that drive in the middle of the streets, or the complete disregard for any kind of lane? I drive in traffic daily as three lane roads turn into six or more, with cars just inches apart, all of them jockeying to get that one car length ahead of their neighbor. I could go on with more examples, but I just hate to think about it.

Please, before you make yourself sound like a typical American (I am one) that has never left the country (I am not one) educate yourself on the subject you are posting about. Try this...

American drivers are nowhere near the worst or lowest skilled. Cairo drivers are also not the worst, ever driven in Iraq, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, S. Korea or Thailand? I have...
 
The city of Montgomery, Alabama actually removed all of their traffic cams because, the processing fees and upkeep cost more than they were making off of the cameras.
 
Ha! You don't get out of the US very often, do you? We are FAR from the worst drivers.

I agree. I haven't seen personally, but I do hear about how the Italians drive!:eek:

Americans do tend to be bad drivers, but we are far from being the worst!
 
Ha Ha I can just see another story like this

"Person gets parking ticket for staying in a 15 minute parking for 15:01, writes an awesome letter"
 
Haha reminds me of when i got a seatbelt ticket in high school for pulling off the curb and driving 10 feet while putting it on. The court was not as nice as this one.

You were probably lucky not to be charged with failing to be fully in control of the car, which is a more serious offence. 1st 10 feet, you're pulling out, merging with traffic coming from behind you (or avoiding oncoming traffic) and changing gears etc. Lots of accidents happen in the first few seconds of driving.
 
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