Traffic Cameras Result In 500% Spike In Richmond Offences

[GoneGuru]

I always wished every intersection had those "prepare to slow down" flashing light signs. Even if they had little yellow lights on the side of the housing for the main lights that would flash when the light is about to turn yellow would be good enough.

[sebberry]

That might work, Zulu, but it's more expensive than adding 0.5 to the yellow phase of the light timings. You'd also see a dramatic spike in rear-end collisions as everyone slams on the brakes for the red.

Adjusting yellow phase timings has been shown to work. Why did BC not evaluate this prior to installing red light cameras?

[gars]

In my daily driving around - the guys who run red lights aren't the ones who are being tailgated - they're the ones who see a yellow and just gun it to try to make it to the other side, and are sometimes caught. I see maybe a few people run full on reds (not yellows) everyday, and I have never seen one think they can't stop safely because they're being followed too closely.

If you're being followed too closely, slow down.

[zulutango]

Adjusting yellow phase timings has been shown to work. Why did BC not evaluate this prior to installing red light cameras?[/QUOTE]

How do you know this for certain?


I agree with gars....both as a Traffic Cop and as a driving instructor...and as part of my own personal observations.

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by zulutango

How do you know this for certain?

Many articles with references at thenewspaper.com pointing to a reduction in violations at intersections where light timings have been adjusted.

And I had an email conversation with ICBC about an intersection near me where they installed one of their fancy new RLCs. ICBC stated that the light timings were not evaluated, nor were timing adjustments considered prior to installing the camera.

[sebberry]

Originally Posted by gars

everyday, and I have never seen one think they can't stop safely because they're being followed too closely.

How do you know what the driver is thinking at the time?

[zulutango]

The voices told him so.

[gars]

Originally Posted by sebberry

How do you know what the driver is thinking at the time?

Because there was nobody tailgating him. Unless the driver was imagining a tailgater behind him. That and I watch drivers coast at 50km/h, then accelerate to 60/70 when they see a yellow light.

[wing_woo]

I have run the yellow a few times because I sensed the guy behind me wouldn't stop. All the times, I would make it through before the light turned red and sure enough the car behind does proceed right after me, and more often than not, it's red before they clear. This is usually on pedistrian controlled lights or lights that are for cross traffic for smaller roads so it's a short intersection.

[falcon]

Originally Posted by GoneGuru

I always wished every intersection had those "prepare to slow down" flashing light signs. Even if they had little yellow lights on the side of the housing for the main lights that would flash when the light is about to turn yellow would be good enough.

Ive noticed those more or less disappearing in the last few years.

I always take a glance over to the cross walk to get an idea if its a stale green. Nice thing, is many lights are starting to have timers for the cross walks which is great.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by gars

In my daily driving around - the guys who run red lights aren't the ones who are being tailgated - they're the ones who are DOING the tailgating.

Fixed that for you

[sebberry]

Here's a dashcam video found online:

Red Light Camera for douche driver! - YouTube NWS for language.

At the end, the Altima driver gets a red light camera ticket. What the officer reviewing the ticket fails to see is the 90 seconds of aggression the Altima driver has just put up with leading up to the violation.

It was likely that the Altima driver was quite intimidated by the aggressive driver and used the opportunity to get away from an escalating situation, but was ticketed instead.

How has the RLC addressed the problem of road safety here?

[Soundy]

So because the RLC is ineffective in this one situation, the whole program should be scrapped and people should be allowed to blow through reds with impunity.

Good thinking, chief

You really are a funny little man...

[sebberry]

The odd thing about red light violations - most of them happen in the first .5 second after the light turns red, just like in that video. The crossing road hasn't even turned to green yet.

Since the majority of red light violations happen in the first .5 seconds of the light turning red without crossing traffic, they don't result in collisions. Yet the cameras continue to snap away generating thousands of dollars in ticket revenue, and we still have roads littered with hot-head aggressive drivers.


The pro enforcement side wants to believe that all speeders operate with an aggressive attitude like the driver in that video.

[snowball]

i love the intersections with count-down walking signals, i've never been caught in a compromising situation at an intersection with these

[sebberry]

They help, but they're also a distraction. There's more important things to be looking at in an intersection.

[gars]

Originally Posted by sebberry

The odd thing about red light violations - most of them happen in the first .5 second after the light turns red, just like in that video. The crossing road hasn't even turned to green yet.

Since the majority of red light violations happen in the first .5 seconds of the light turning red without crossing traffic, they don't result in collisions. Yet the cameras continue to snap away generating thousands of dollars in ticket revenue, and we still have roads littered with hot-head aggressive drivers.


The pro enforcement side wants to believe that all speeders operate with an aggressive attitude like the driver in that video.

That's not true, a lot of collisions happen when these red light runners collide with someone turning left.

[sho_bc]

Originally Posted by sebberry

Here's a dashcam video found online:

Red Light Camera for douche driver! - YouTube NWS for language.

At the end, the Altima driver gets a red light camera ticket. What the officer reviewing the ticket fails to see is the 90 seconds of aggression the Altima driver has just put up with leading up to the violation.

It was likely that the Altima driver was quite intimidated by the aggressive driver and used the opportunity to get away from an escalating situation, but was ticketed instead.

How has the RLC addressed the problem of road safety here?

So, having just watched that video (without sound), I saw multiple opportunities for the driver of the Altima to get out of the way of the camera car, if indeed Altima driver was feeling intimidated. As any traffic JJP will tell you, speeding up and blowing red lights is not the safe - or legal - method of disposing yourself of tail gaters and a-hole drivers behind you. There was 30 seconds at the end of the video where camera car was no longer behind the Altima, thereby giving Altima driver no excuses for running the red.

What it appears you are suggesting, is that instead of practicing safe driving habits and removing one's self from the situation once it develops in a safe and legal manner, it is acceptable to blow red lights.

[wing_woo]

Originally Posted by sebberry

Here's a dashcam video found online:

Red Light Camera for douche driver! - YouTube NWS for language.

At the end, the Altima driver gets a red light camera ticket. What the officer reviewing the ticket fails to see is the 90 seconds of aggression the Altima driver has just put up with leading up to the violation.

It was likely that the Altima driver was quite intimidated by the aggressive driver and used the opportunity to get away from an escalating situation, but was ticketed instead.

How has the RLC addressed the problem of road safety here?

I guess you failed to notice that the Altima driver was begging for the aggression. It's a 60km/h zone and he's driving around 40km/h for the majority of the time. He also slowed down when the dash cam car got behind him and I didn't see any aggresive driving on his part. He was looking for a way to change lanes. I think the Altima driver should have been ticketed for impeding traffic flow to go with the red light ticket. He only speeds up to the speed limit and more after the dashcam car changed lanes and seemed like he was preventing him from getting in front of him and then he speeds off to run the light.
*I watched it without sound so I don't know what the guy was saying in the car so maybe he sounded aggressive.

[sebberry]

I clearly noticed the Altima driver driving slowly.

Instead of tailgating a slow driver while leaning on the horn, flashing headlights and swearing, back off and move over. You don't know why the driver was driving like that. I think the aggressive driver is far more dangerous than the slow Altima driver.

[wing_woo]

Like I said, I watched it with no sound which is why I made that disclaimer at the end of my post indicating that.

[sebberry]

I'm looking at the new crash maps from ICBC and the two intersections that got the red light cameras did not see a reduction in crashes. In fact, they're above pre-camera numbers. Interesting.