Scariest speed camera of all... It checks your insurance, tax and even whether you are tailgating or

didnt they install these speed cameras before and they were so effective in one city that they had to remove it to regrow their income from traffic fines?

"Don't tailgate".

If you have not dealt with these you would not know that a % of people when they see one hit the brakes.
anyone following behind this idiot may then get a ticket for tailgating.

The cops put these type systems on roads around Calif for non ticket information just to warn drivers that they are driving over the speed limit.
www.coronado.ca.us...
directory.officer.com...
I have been to a number of accidents at these as a EMT
Mostly out of state drivers that slam on the brakes believing that they will get a ticket.

These should never be used in rainy or snowy weather as a number of cars will lose traction and spin when the idiot driving locks the brakes.

Originally posted by Mudman21

This is insane the technology that is about to be brought upon us in the name of our safety.

It's not insane. Look around you. Most of these people need to be monitored. If everyone was as considerate a driver and as responsible as you must be, these things would not be necessary. The majority of people out there would not behave any better if they were not more strictly parented by the government. That is what has made these things necessary.

reply to post by Alethea


Do you honestly believe that this technology is invented and intended for your safety? It is strictly a revenue producer. Just like DUI's in this country. Just as soon as our government discovered that they could arrest someone for a DUI and make thousands of dollars, then the no tolerance policy was passed and alcohol limits were lowered to a limit where anyone that even breaths alcohol will test positive.

Make no mistake, these machines are and will be nothing more than a government money maker.

And I do agree, people do need authority. But these traffic cameras are not the answer to traffic violations!

Originally posted by Mudman21

And I do agree, people do need authority. But these traffic cameras are not the answer to traffic violations!

What would be your suggestion for an alternative? A Barney Fife "citizens arrest"? There's never a cop when you need one. Now, it will be on film!

Originally posted by Mudman21
It is strictly a revenue producer. Just like DUI's in this country.

So drunk driving should be stricken from penalty? There would not be "so much revenue" produced if there were not so many drunk drivers. I think they get what they deserve.

I think the real sense of the problem is that tickets and fines may not be curbing the problems. Therefore, maybe they are not the solution. So what is?

Can it detect underage drivers? hehe

Originally posted by Mudman21

And I do agree, people do need authority. But these traffic cameras are not the answer to traffic violations!

Maybe you can make that argument to the parents of little girl ran over by an arrogant driver who lost control of his vehicle and smashed into her while she was in her driveway or the paralyzed victims of an accident caused by an impatient and arrogant driver thinking he's got to be in front of everyone else on the road.

The only thing wrong I see with this technology is that it doesn't have the ability to kill the automobiles electrical system in extreme cases.

What you Brits need to do is install spy cameras to monitor your police, public officials, judges, MPs, PM, and royals to make sure they are attending to their duties while on the public payroll. Now there's an idea that may get some traction and public support. They monitor you and you monitor them. The difficult part may be collecting the fines for their infractions and official malfeasance..

Originally posted by Alethea

Originally posted by Mudman21

This is insane the technology that is about to be brought upon us in the name of our safety.

It's not insane. Look around you. Most of these people need to be monitored. If everyone was as considerate a driver and as responsible as you must be, these things would not be necessary. The majority of people out there would not behave any better if they were not more strictly parented by the government. That is what has made these things necessary.

What makes you think you have any say in who needs to be monitored and under what circumstances? Hate to break it to you but not everyone is considerate, and everybody will not be 100% considerate 100% of the time. It's called life, deal with it. People need to be responsible with their OWN actions, and no amount of intrusion by mommy governments all seeing cameras are going to stop the free will of people. Do you believe that people cannot follow rules without being intruded upon? What would happen if all the cameras were gone tomorrow and the surveillance seized to exist? Would their be anarchy in the streets? Would crime increase? Would you stay locked in your home afraid of society because they might do something bad/illegal/inconsiderate that couldn't be stopped by the all seeing eye of constant surveillance? If so it really shows a lack of faith in your fellow man.

People should have a common sense notion of what is right or wrong and not have to constantly watched in order to do what is right. All the surveillance does is try to create a constant sense of guilt in everyone, mostly people who are not criminals. A criminal doesn't care if cameras are around to commit a crime or he wouldn't be considered a criminal. The cameras only pose as a false sense of security to society who think that either everyone is bad without having cameras watching everyone, or that they have nothing to hide so it's ok to peer into my life, and if someone else opposes it, they must be bad as well. No amount of control/rules/surveillance will make everyone safe all the time. You can never control someones free will....yet.

Originally posted by Intelearthling

Originally posted by Mudman21

And I do agree, people do need authority. But these traffic cameras are not the answer to traffic violations!

Maybe you can make that argument to the parents of little girl ran over by an arrogant driver who lost control of his vehicle and smashed into her while she was in her driveway or the paralyzed victims of an accident caused by an impatient and arrogant driver thinking he's got to be in front of everyone else on the road.

The only thing wrong I see with this technology is that it doesn't have the ability to kill the automobiles electrical system in extreme cases.

edit on 5/11/10 by Intelearthling because: (no reason given)

Explain what systems you would impose on people that would prevent the scenarios you just stated? Obliviously cameras are nothing new, and the driver had to have known this...so what made him do what he did? Was the existence of the camera supposed to make him a better driver because the implications that some unseen force might see him do wrong? Or did the lack of a camera make his driving more reckless because somehow he thought this same unseen force wouldn't notice it? Cameras do nothing more than replace someones job and to generate revenue.

Oh, and what will you tell the parents of the little girl who was killed when she was involved in an accident of a reckless driver, who lost control when the electronics were cut off? I guess we need more cameras.

Here in the UK, over a number of years, police forces up and down the country re-tasked or laid off many dedicated highly (and expensively) trained traffic police, in favour of the revenue generation from speed / safety cameras.
Of course, all the camera would do is record a speeding driver at that single point on the road - or not at all if the locations were well known as the drivers would slow down to pass the camera then speed up again.
The cameras also did not record drunk or drugged drivers, those driving arratically or dangerously etc, something that the traffic cops would do.

Many of the police forces now have a lot of cars fitted with ANPR systems to catch out those vehicles flagged with the DVLA as not having valid MOT certificates, insurance etc, something that I personally think is a good thing. However, it has also been shown in the past that this has been abused and used to track and harass anti-war protesters guilty of no crime at all. The old mark-1 eyeball and the brain behind it is always going to be the best at determining criminal activity and bad driving where this is no camera to do so. Bring back more traffic cops to patrol the major roads rather than relying on whizz-bang technology I say!

Also, now that many cash strapped local councils are having to maintain the existing camera systems themselves, they are slowly being switched off in some areas, something I applaud.

Everytime I go out I see someone who is using their mobile phone, or someone who is driving agressively to get past and get in front, people who park illegaly and obstruct vision people who speed.

The police don't seem to be policing. I very rarely see policeman or police cars on patrol. If the police are not upholding the laws, then someone or something has to otherwise there is really no point in having them.

Maybe we need to look at which laws are unecessary or not possible to police and get rid of them.

At the same time we should be looking at the way we educate and train our young drivers and make sure at part of their test they learn the consequences of their actions before they get their licence.

And if you don't want them to make money don't break the law!

reply to post by Intelearthling


Are you kidding me? So by having a camera on an intersection, this is going to save a little girls life from a dangerous driver. Come on, seriously. I have already provided a link where studies show that these cameras at intersections actually cause more accidents than they prevent. Guess you missed that link.

Here's a scenario for you. Little Sally is strapped securely in her seat while mom is driving behind a truck. The truck comes to the intersection with the traffic camera and the light turns yellow. The truck driver realizing that he will get a ticket if he runs the light slams on his brakes. Mom (even though was at the proper distance behind the truck) slams on her brakes sliding into the rear of the truck. All prevented if the truck driver wasn't afraid of being ticketed by a traffic camera.

And you say you want this thing to kill the car! That is insane! You want an already out of control driver to have even less control of their vehicle. Hey, why not have M134 minis mounted on these cameras and if the driver is braking the law, lets go ahead and blast him to pieces!