[Politech] A delivery van driver's view of red light cameras [priv]

From: Declan McCullagh (declan@private)
Date: Wed Feb 18 2004 - 21:04:02 PST

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    From: "Raymond D. Mereniuk" <Raymond@private>
    Organization: FBN Technical Services
    To: Declan McCullagh <declan@private>
    Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 22:20:19 -0700
    MIME-Version: 1.0
    Subject: Re: [Politech] Replies to a contrarian, supportive view of red light
    
    Hello
    
    I drive a delivery van in a large metro area, Vancouver BC.   It is a
    van which is marked in the company colors and telephone number.  If
    I drive aggressively or in a passive manner people call my employer
    to complain.  This metro area has a large number of red-light camera
    sites with a limited number of cameras which are rotated through the
    available sites.  From what I see the yellow light duration has not
    been shortened to enhance the number of possible infractions.  What
    I do see when I do see the camera flash lighting up is a person
    getting a well deserved ticket.
    
    How do we police and punish drivers for breaking a basic trust we
    expect of other drivers on the road?  I see many drivers entering an
    intersection 1 or 2 seconds, sometimes as late as 5 seconds, after I
    see a green light.  If I am the first  vehicle in line at a traffic signal I
    never proceed until I have looked in both directions for vehicles failing
    to obey opposing traffic signals.
    
    There must be some method of policing situations where vehicles are
    required to obey traffic signals.  If the yellow light duration is
    shortened that is plain wrong.  In my area I don't see shortened yellow
    light durations to enhance revenue from redlight cameras.
    
    Driving must be a predictable affair, if I have a greenlight I should be
    able to proceed without fear of a rogue driver deciding his signal was
    of no importance.  Redlight cameras, if properly configured, enforce
    what should be expected of your fellow citizens, that vehicles should
    stop for redlights or stale yellow lights.
    
    
    
    Virtually
    
    Raymond D. Mereniuk
    Raymond@private
    FBN - Offering PUP - Unbreakable Encryption Techology
    http://www.fbntech.com/pup.html
    
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