Traffic Light Camara Myth?

[abaucom21]

Here in Canada's capital city I see more and more traffic light camera's being installed. Read that in North America more cities are subcontracting out these camera's. Not sure if it an urban myth or not that when the camera's are installed the timing of the yellow light is reduced. Money grab possible?

This is not an attempt to excuse myself for running a red light. I admit my fault even it was a slight error of judgement. I understand consequences of even rolling through a stop sign. 1967, a drunk ran a stop sign, killed both his passenger and my best friend driving her new 1967 Camaro when we T-boned at 55 mph. Took 45 mins. to cut me out of the back seat.

I have traveled the same city street to work for ten years and recently at one intersection camera's newly installed. Speed limit about 40 mph, I crest the top of an incline and in front and below is the traffic light. More then 45 years driving and never received a ticket but I got nailed last month as I ran the light by 1.01 seconds (color pictures of my Camaro that came with the ticket looked good as the car was newly washed). Agree, my fault, mailed in the $375 fine, no points. I am sure the car behind me also got a ticket as well. Looking at the camera pic's pretty sure if I slammed on the breaks I would have been rear ended and neither of us was speeding. Before the camera's were installed at this intersection never had a problem coming to a safe stop or proceeding through a yellow light at legal speed.

Just by chance today I stopped at a store beside the intersection. I timed the yellow light and it was only yellow for 8 seconds. Remember this is a 40 mph zone and intersection light only visible once you get to the top of a small hill. Now every time I approach this intersection, moving with the flow of traffic, I tense up ready to slam on the breaks. Over the decades been rear ended three times, seriously injured once.

Would like to see installed at intersections with Camera's one of those digital readouts that we see at some city pedestrian crosswalks that count down the seconds to give advance notice before the light changes. If the purpose of stop light intersection camera's is to reduce accidents, how about giving more of a timed warning to drivers like we give to pedestrians at crosswalks.

Your opinions: Fact or myth at intersections with camera's, yellow light time reduced as a money grab to gain increased revenue.

Side note: The system is so very automated sending out camera red light tickets that I received my ticket with two color photos of my Camaro in the mail. However, I was required to fill out the enclosed form with my credit card info to pay the $375, no return envelop. Heck I am an old fart but seriously thought I was transported back to 1995. Had to dig around my closets to even find a blank envelop, asked co-workers the cost of a postage stamp to send to an address 10 mins. away, none of my co-workers knew the current price of a postage stamp. Co-workers went through their desk drawers, in total about 6 stamps found, all stamps pretty with different pictures, none indicated cost of stamp. I went to the Canada post website. 15 min. search, could not find the pictures of the stamps, could not even find cost of postage to mail a letter locally. So I licked, and stamped my envelop with all six stamps. However, I now have an estimate to mail one small envelop to Bangladesh after reviewing the Canada Post website. Ottawa, Canada's capitol city, and I can not pay a traffic fine on-line.

I got more pissed off on the process to pay the fine with snail mail then getting nailed for running a traffic light by 1.01 seconds with an 8 second yellow light in a 40 mph zone. If I post in the future I get deported from Canada (I am a US expat) and / or arrested, Camaro confiscated, might be because when I snail mailed my red light fine, my old 1995 envelop did not have enough postage to be delivered locally 10 mins. from my home (LOL).

Sorry for rant. I now feel better.

[Stormwalker]

It definitely happens. Here in Texas there have been news reports of traffic lights where the yellow was reduced below the legal minimum (4 seconds in Texas) when the cameras were installed. Got a couple of local municipalities in hot water with the state, if I remember correctly.

[RubberChicken]

Here in Dallas they actually turned off many of the red light cameras because they were too successful in preventing people from running red lights. The county/city wasn't getting as much money in traffic fines as they were used to.

[BigBoyBlue]

$375??? US dollars or CAD? Holy crap! It's only $80 here. I have no problems with the red light cameras and am used to the short time 4 seconds that I have to make a decision. It's the BS speed cameras that are obviously placed in areas that shouldn't have them, or the speed limit goes from 55 to 25 quickly with a camera right after it. It's all about revenue. I hate the idea of big brother watching. It's only getting worse.

[abaucom21]

Wow, two Dallas guys in a row.
As I said I am a US expat working in Canada for ten + years. Moved to Canada from Dallas (Oak Lawn) back in 2003.

Small world. FYI, people in Canada love my Texas accent and my tell it like it is Texas attitude in Canada. Canadian's just a little freaked out about the US gun issues.

Funny (or not), people in Canada still think everyone in the states carry a gun. Canadians more likely to vacation in Europe then the US which is just across the border because they are afraid of guns in the US. Sad but true.

[CamaroTom]

I had the idea of driving around with my tailgate down on my F150. There's no way a camera could see your license plate underneath it and it's perfectly legal.

[abaucom21]

Big Boy, $375 Canadian = $343.38 USD. But no points.

If I had slammed breaks perhaps I would not have run the light by 1.01 seconds. But I did run the light, caught on Camera, paid fine and thankfully no points so should not affect my insurance. Disappointed with myself since I have been driving since 1967, never had a ticket.

Just hate that red light cam's might be a money grab if yellow light times are reduced and making it difficult, if not dangerous, to stop in time in order to avoid an expensive fine.

[abaucom21]

Well 1LEMayhem you don't have a tailgate to drop and cover your sweet Camaro plates.

[Jay_LHD3]

I got one last month in Tucson for turning on a yellow. ~$400 ticket and online driving school crap still to come. I just hope that it doesn't make my insurance sky rocket. The ticket was written like I had just received a DUI or something.

One more second or five more feet and I would had been past the invisible line.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by abaucom21

Would like to see installed at intersections with Camera's one of those digital readouts that we see at some city pedestrian crosswalks that count down the seconds to give advance notice before the light changes.

Yup. Around here there has been an increase in those "count-down" lights. I'm told you can count on there being a camera there, which is okay. The count-down is a great safety feature.

[sstephen17]

Wow, I have a red light camera near my home (California). Girlfriend got a ticket for $490. Doing a trial by written declaration and I've gotten out of one myself in the past. For my defense, I researched on the web and the number one complaint is in fact the reduction of the yellow light duration. Laws vary by area but there is a certain amount of time the light needs to stay yellow. I argued that based on my alleged speed and the camera's time stamp, there is no way the yellow light was on nearly enough. Ticket dismissed.

[LnLSS]

Originally Posted by abaucom21

Just by chance today I stopped at a store beside the intersection. I timed the yellow light and it was only yellow for 8 seconds. Remember this is a 40 mph zone and intersection light only visible once you get to the top of a small hill. Now every time I approach this intersection, moving with the flow of traffic, I tense up ready to slam on the breaks. Over the decades been rear ended three times, seriously injured once.

Wow 8 seconds? Down here in Florida the light stays yellow about 1 second for every 8 mph.

25 MPH -- 3.0 Seconds
30 MPH -- 3.5 Seconds
35 MPH -- 4.0 Seconds
40 MPH -- 4.5 Seconds
45 MPH -- 5.0 Seconds
50 MPH -- 5.5 Seconds
55 MPH -- 6.0 Seconds

minimum of 3 seconds for lower speeds.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by LnLSS

Wow 8 seconds? Down here in Florida the light stays yellow about 1 second for every 8 mph.

25 MPH -- 3.0 Seconds
30 MPH -- 3.5 Seconds
35 MPH -- 4.0 Seconds
40 MPH -- 4.5 Seconds
45 MPH -- 5.0 Seconds
50 MPH -- 5.5 Seconds
55 MPH -- 6.0 Seconds

minimum of 3 seconds for lower speeds.

What? You mean there is some sort of detection device that lengthens the amount of time the light says yellow... depending on how fast you are going????

[LnLSS]

Originally Posted by PalmerGA

What? You mean there is some sort of detection device that lengthens the amount of time the light says yellow... depending on how fast you are going????

Dude that chart is for posted speed in that zone.