Photo Radar at Traffic Lights [MRG]

[ken0042]

I've heard conflicting things about it catching people speeding on green, amber, or red.

My impression is it will issue a speeding ticket no matter what the colour of the light; which I have two issues with:

- Don't call it "speed on green" if you are tracking speed on other colours.
- Sometimes you need to speed up to clear the intersection safely. Currently the red light cameras are calibrated to take that into effect. This takes that away, which I think will result in more slamming on of people's brakes.

[REDVAN]

People slamming on the brakes is good. I plan to do that. I have a few scratches on my rear bumper, that I haven't had painted because it's not worth the money to me. But when someone else is paying for it, sweet.

[Frequitude]

nm

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by ken0042

- Sometimes you need to speed up to clear the intersection safely. Currently the red light cameras are calibrated to take that into effect. This takes that away, which I think will result in more slamming on of people's brakes.

You should never need to speed up to clear the intersection safely. Plus, I heard awhile back that you are more likely to get a red light ticket if you speed up to get through the light.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

You should never need to speed up to clear the intersection safely. Plus, I heard awhile back that you are more likely to get a red light ticket if you speed up to get through the light.

From a purely legal standpoint- you are correct. However we have all been in a situation where we have misjudged the distance; which is where the speeding up is needed.

The current setting on red light cameras is that you have to be enter the intersection on red doing the speed limit to get a ticket. So if you are in a mis-judgement like above and you speed up to clear the intersection it won't issue a ticket.

There's also the scenario that you are doing the speed limit going straight, and opposing traffic is waiting to turn left. The light turns amber just as you are about to hit the stop line. At that point speeding up slightly allows the opposing left turners to turn safer; as they will also have more of the yellow to turn on.

Speed on green- I don't like it but only because I speed. But I can respect that law. Speed on amber or red- to me that is a pure cash grab that doesn't take allow for the objectivity that a human police officer can offer to determine if the crime warrants a fine.

For me the law is not black and white. Like the officer in 2004 on the Red Mile who told me to dump my beer; sometimes it's a judgement call to decide if a ticket is in the best interest of public safety.

[fredr123]

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...,1.049194&z=11

Google Map showing all the intersections with Speed on Green.

[worth]

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...,1.049194&z=11

[3 Justin 3]

Not sure if it has been posted, but in text:

Barlow Tr / 32 Ave NE
McKnight Bv / Barlow Tr NE
Macleod Tr / 162 Av SE
Macleod Tr /12 Ave SE
Centre St/ 20 Ave N
John Laurie Bv / 53 St NW
68ST /16 Ave NE
Sarcee Tr / Richmond Rd SW
4 St / 6 Ave SW
61 Ave / Barlow Tr SE
Crowchild Tr / 24 Ave NW
11 Ave / 4 St SW
11 Ave / 14 St SW
17 Ave / 44 St SE
14 St / Heritage Dr SW
14 St / Northmount Dr NW
64 Ave / 4 St NE
Anderson Rd / Acadia Dr SE
9 Ave / 11 St SW
52 ST / 32 AVE NE
Bowness Rd / Shaganappi Tr NW
Canyon Meadows Dr / Bowbottom Tr SE
Southland Dr / Acadia Dr SE
Fairmount Dr / Southland Dr SE
Elbow Dr / Southland Dr SW
Beddington Tr / Centre St N
Falconridge Bv / 64 Av NE
1 Street / 17 Ave SE
Barlow Tr / Centre Av E
Shaganappi Tr / Northland Dr NW
Blackfoot Tr / 42 Ave SE
Memorial Dr / 52 St NE
16 Ave / 10 Street NW
Edmonton Tr / McKnight BV NE
Memorial Dr / 28 St NE
Macleod Tr / 7 Ave SE
Bow Tr / 33 St SW
17 Ave / 33 St SW
Elbow Dr / Heritage Dr SW
Country Hills Bv / Beddington Tr NW
Glenmore Tr / Barlow Tr SE
McKnight Bv / Falconridge Bv NE
Macleod Tr / 25 Av SE
Country Hills BV / 14 St NW

[Russic]

the amount of money these things are going to bring in will be staggering. You now essentially have 44 cops working radar 24/7. Perhaps it was already mentioned but what are the revenue increases for other cities that do this?

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I've heard conflicting things about it catching people speeding on green, amber, or red.

My impression is it will issue a speeding ticket no matter what the colour of the light; which I have two issues with:

- Don't call it "speed on green" if you are tracking speed on other colours.
- Sometimes you need to speed up to clear the intersection safely. Currently the red light cameras are calibrated to take that into effect. This takes that away, which I think will result in more slamming on of people's brakes.

Do we have an answer on this? Will the photoradar operate continuously and catch all speeders, or just when the light is about to turn red/yellow to catch those speeding up to beat it?

[an_album_cover]

Originally Posted by MaxPower

Yeah, there's not enough of a change in the field when a motorcycle sits on top of the sensor. Happens all the time here, I've seen people put really strong magnets on the bottom of their bikes to set off the sensors.

Sorry to bring up the motorcycle thing again, however, if the sensors used to trigger the lights has difficulty picking up a bike, does that mean that the sensors used for the speed-on-green/red-light cams have trouble too?

I'll just come out with it - is there less of a chance of me getting tagged if I'm on my bike vs. in my car?

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

This is such BS...............now everyone will be looking down at their dashboard to monitor their speed all the time instead of watching the road and just going along with the flow.
I feel that this is very manipulative........there are tons of good drivers out there who are going to get punished for occasionally getting heavy footed.
The land of the free is turning into the land of slaves with no freedom.

Freedom to break the law? Huh, never heard of that one.

[MaxPower]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Freedom to break the law? Huh, never heard of that one.

Great attitude buddy, so if a new law was passed making free speech illegal, you'd just accept it?

Just because a bunch of jokers make a law, it doesn't mean it's right...

[MaxPower]

Originally Posted by an_album_cover

Sorry to bring up the motorcycle thing again, however, if the sensors used to trigger the lights has difficulty picking up a bike, does that mean that the sensors used for the speed-on-green/red-light cams have trouble too?

I'll just come out with it - is there less of a chance of me getting tagged if I'm on my bike vs. in my car?

haha nice catch, I'd say it'll depend on the sensor and since they stand to make money here, they'll make dam sure that it senses every car, motorcycle, bicycle, lawn mower, rollerblader etc that rolls through the intersection.

Motorcyclist stuck trying to turn left at an intersection.... who cares?

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by MaxPower

Great attitude buddy, so if a new law was passed making free speech illegal, you'd just accept it?

Just because a bunch of jokers make a law, it doesn't mean it's right...

This isn't a new law, this is long established law that is being enforced in a way that is more cost efficient and more universally applied than the old method(s) . This method may have some additional side effects that happen when people are not watching the road, but that has nothing to do with the law itself.

Bottom line is, if there are people who continue to speed through these intersections then they will get tickets. Additionally, as time progresses and the majority of people are going slower, these speeders will be driving faster than the flow of traffic, and be a safety concern on top of that.

Arguing that the person that follows the law is somehow at fault for this decrease in safety is ludicrous, unless they do something stupid (which is probably illegal) to achieve that.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by MaxPower

Great attitude buddy, so if a new law was passed making free speech illegal, you'd just accept it?

Just because a bunch of jokers make a law, it doesn't mean it's right...

Nice logical fallacy pal. Speeding isn't a new law. Nor is it a right.

Mikey comments about Canada turning into the land of the slaves was what I was taking a jab it. It was just a tad over the top.

[fredr123]

Bump. And back on topic...

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...50311-sun.html

A bunch of food for thought in there. Sounds like CPS and the Province are going to get in a peeing match over the use of the cameras. CPS wants to be able to lay careless driving charges in some situations where people are speeding AND going through a red. The Province says there is no law in place to support the camera's use in such a way and any charges that result wouldn't stand up in court.

Calgary's police want to use red-light cameras at 40 city intersections to lay careless driving charges; the province says no way.

Under "Speed on Green" legislation supported by Ouellette's department, drivers who speed through intersections on a green light are fined, and drivers who run red lights are fined.

Those who do both should get two tickets -- but not in Calgary, where police now say they will issue only one fine for a double infraction.

Calgary Traffic Sgt. Clive Marsh says drivers who run red lights while speeding will get a careless driving charge, worth a $400 fine.

[old-fart]

I doubt the careless driving charge will stand up as the camera can not accurately prove who is driving the car. The can issue two tickets, neither with any demerits to a specific driver but rather simply $$ to the owner of the vehicle - but I don't see how they can issue a ticket that carries demerits.

[JustAnotherGuy]

I don't want to get into the debate about the cash grab etc. But, how many posters here will be slowing down because of these cameras? I know I will.

[ken0042]

I've been thinking about that exact subject, and thinking about why I speed as much as I do. Part of the reason is that in the last 15 years I have received 3 or 4 tickets; which isn't as much of a deterant. So perhaps getting this newest generation of drivers to always obey the limits, we might shape them into non-speeders.

However this "dangerous driving" topic is a little silly. Part of dangerous driving is subjective, and I don't think an officer looking at a still photo can make that determination.