Speed cameras VS Red light cameras

[Bridgette01]

Every morning on my drive to work I see people running red lights, blatant red lights. I find it annoying, well, it makes me angry more like it. If the governments are so hell bent on road safety, why are they concentrating SO much on speed cameras and (it appears) so little on red light cameras. Dont get me wrong, I do not have a problem with speed cameras but I would like to see my tax dollars spent more wisely. I haven't researched where accidents are most likely to happen. A straight bit of road (speed camera territory) or at an intersection (red light camera territory) If I had to guess, I would say intersections.

I know many of you are dead against speed cameras and fair enough. This thread is asking how do you feel about red light cameras. How would you feel if they were installed at every intersection. Would this actually reduce the amount of people running red lights. Are there currently enough red light cameras installed. Are they simply revenue raising. I am interested in your opinions, thanks.

[Mechan1k]

Have been finding lately on Gt Western Hwy near Doonside ... there's one side street .... where people race out onto the highway ... even after the main road has been green for a few seconds.

last 2 mornings have seen some really close calls.

I really need to get that camera put on the windscreen of the ute.

[Jim Goose]

Often wondered it myself.
On a regular basis I see cars going through red lights up to 10secs AFTER its gone red and then usually end up cueing across the intersection blocking everyone off.

Running a red light at high speed must surely be asking for trouble?

[Ben73]

I support more Red light cameras.

But I think we should be able to turn left on red at more intersections.
Like in the usa but backwards.
It makes traveling at night so much quicker. Beats siting at a red light for 2 minutes when not one vehicle goes past in that time.

[burnz]

Originally Posted by Ben73

I support more Red light cameras.

But I think we should be able to turn left on red at more intersections.
Like in the usa but backwards.
It makes traveling at night so much quicker. Beats siting at a red light for 2 minutes when not one vehicle goes past in that time.

agreed; sydney doesent have that many..

but gosford, 99% of the lights have "left turn permited after stopping"..

[Mechan1k]

There's a few around .... but agreed there could be more of the Left turn allowed after stopping.

Agreed though ... more red light cameras are needed over speed cameras.

[XR6Naranja]

Originally Posted by Bridgette01

Every morning on my drive to work I see people running red lights, blatant red lights. I find it annoying, well, it makes me angry more like it. If the governments are so hell bent on road safety, why are they concentrating SO much on speed cameras and (it appears) so little on red light cameras. Dont get me wrong, I do not have a problem with speed cameras but I would like to see my tax dollars spent more wisely. I haven't researched where accidents are most likely to happen. A straight bit of road (speed camera territory) or at an intersection (red light camera territory) If I had to guess, I would say intersections.

I know many of you are dead against speed cameras and fair enough. This thread is asking how do you feel about red light cameras. How would you feel if they were installed at every intersection. Would this actually reduce the amount of people running red lights. Are there currently enough red light cameras installed. Are they simply revenue raising. I am interested in your opinions, thanks.

Little against red light cameras, but only because they activate with the red light turning on, which means say you're 2 meters from a green light, it's just turned yellow, by the time your 3 quarters through it's red, boom money raised for the cops.

But I do think people shouldn't run blatant red lights, they really should get what's coming to them for it...

Not only this, people scared to death of red light cameras may heavily brake after seeing a yellow light, which means a lot of rear ending could happen, especially if the person behind them is keen to go through before it's red, or if it's a truck that simply wouldn't stop for it.

Traffic lights in high peak hours also cause congestion which means the 5 or so cars that run the yellow light over the peak hours cause a lot less congestion in total.

But as originally stated I think running RED lights is stupid, but given certain circumstances, running yellow lights sometimes can't be avoided, which may turn red as you aren't fully through, or shouldn't be avoided, as previously stated you have a truck up behind you who isn't intending to stop but you don't want a red light ticket.

So I'm on the fence.

[Mechan1k]

Safety cameras are more dangerous as people are looking at their speedos and miss the start of the amber ... then slam brakes on.

red light cameras on their own are fine really.

If you can't stop in time for a red light .... you are going too fast for the area/conditions. Also if following and you have to hit the picks that hard ... you are following too close.

I see it all the time as a courier around Sydney.

[svo supporter]

Red camera lights are the same as speed cameras. Revenue raisers.

There are still accidents at these intersections. You're going to get idiots running them regardless. Yes, it'd be unfortunate if someone was to be killed, but who's going to pay the fine of the red light runner if they're killed?

To me, it's another accident cause.

Before people go biting my head off, I would hate for someone to be killed or injured as a result of this idiotic act, but like most road deaths/accidents, it's an idiotic act that causes it.

Oh and yes people can loose their licence because of it, but there are idiots out there that'll drive unlicenced anyways, so it's not going to deter them much.

[GTP owner]

Red light cameras make no difference to actual crash stats for an intersection. If anything, the stats get worse because people assume it must be safer and therefore take even less responsibility to look out and be safe.

[mcnamg]

WA has decided to kill 2 birds with one stone all new Red light cameras now do double duty as a speed camera so anyone who speeds up to get thru the orange to avoid the red light camera gets a speeding fine

[XR6Naranja]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Safety cameras are more dangerous as people are looking at their speedos and miss the start of the amber ... then slam brakes on.
Yes speed cams are pretty bad, many times I've been watching my speedo more then the road, stupid idea completely, but gets money..


red light cameras on their own are fine really.
Not necessarily, still the same problems as previously raised.

If you can't stop in time for a red light .... you are going too fast for the area/conditions. Also if following and you have to hit the picks that hard ... you are following too close.
In my town there is only one set of lights, and it's on a huge straight, you do 60 all the way to the lights and are always unsure if they are going to change, 60 is the limit, often I've been as I said 2 meters away as the light goes amber, I'm not gonna slam the brakes and stop within two meters, and I'm not gonna slow down because the light is obviously green, and I have traffic behind me, and reality is, people do follow too close, might not be me who runs up someones ****, but someone running up mine...

I see it all the time as a courier around Sydney.

So all in all, these are good but have more cons then pros.

[oceanwave54]

Originally Posted by TheOrangeSpider

Little against red light cameras, but only because they activate with the red light turning on, which means say you're 2 meters from a green light, it's just turned yellow, by the time your 3 quarters through it's red

---SNIPPED---

But as originally stated I think running RED lights is stupid, but given certain circumstances, running yellow lights sometimes can't be avoided, which may turn red as you aren't fully through

But isn't it the case that you're not running the whole intersection, it's only passing the line that activates it, so if you're three-quarters through, then you should be fine. Don't the cameras activate only on the first couple of lines?

[Ducati888]

You are supposed to stop when the yellow comes on. The yellow is on long enough for vehicles to clear the intersection, including heavy vehicles (6 seconds or so). If you are in the intersection when the light goes to red then you could have or should have stopped.

My issue is, whilst in agreement with red light cameras, is that the duration of the yellow has been reduced by a second on some of the intersections in Melb that have a red light camera. That says to me that they are for revenue not safety.

[Bridgette01]

Interesting read.....http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety...ras/index.html

[burnz]

Originally Posted by Ducati888

You are supposed to stop when the yellow comes on. The yellow is on long enough for vehicles to clear the intersection, including heavy vehicles (6 seconds or so). If you are in the intersection when the light goes to red then you could have or should have stopped.

My issue is, whilst in agreement with red light cameras, is that the duration of the yellow has been reduced by a second on some of the intersections in Melb that have a red light camera. That says to me that they are for revenue not safety.

they done this in chipping norton (RTA) and got chastised by the local media.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by TheOrangeSpider

Little against red light cameras, but only because they activate with the red light turning on, .

they only activate if you ENTER the intersection on a red. if you enter on an amber, it will not take a picture.

red light runners should have the book thrown at them.

[GTBenny]

If you look at the road in front of the last white line when entering the intersection with a speed/red light camera you will see the coils in the road surface that detect a vehicle. You must pass over these while the light is red to trigger the red light camera.

Regards,

Benny.

[XR6Naranja]

Originally Posted by BABenny

If you look at the road in front of the last white line when entering the intersection with a speed/red light camera you will see the coils in the road surface that detect a vehicle. You must pass over these while the light is red to trigger the red light camera.

Regards,

Benny.

Cheers mate, I have seen these around but in the form of a black strip.
I am only speaking from one that I knew of which was activated when the red light came on and catching anyone that was past the white line.

Originally Posted by oceanwave54

But isn't it the case that you're not running the whole intersection, it's only passing the line that activates it, so if you're three-quarters through, then you should be fine. Don't the cameras activate only on the first couple of lines?

It seems so I was going off maybe a prototype version?

Originally Posted by Ducati888

You are supposed to stop when the yellow comes on. The yellow is on long enough for vehicles to clear the intersection, including heavy vehicles (6 seconds or so). If you are in the intersection when the light goes to red then you could have or should have stopped.

My issue is, whilst in agreement with red light cameras, is that the duration of the yellow has been reduced by a second on some of the intersections in Melb that have a red light camera. That says to me that they are for revenue not safety.

Yeah fair enough, I just know a lot of the time in my case/this town, it's too hard to know if it's gonna go yellow and if you should maintain speed and such, but yes, going off the only one I knew of...

Does sound dodgy with the second removed, reminds me of a set of lights in Brisbane that are literally only green for a couple seconds, maybe 5? then off for about 30 seconds, I was surprized this was legal, considering only 6 cars in total of the two lanes, so 3 cars long only got through at a time.

Originally Posted by prydey

they only activate if you ENTER the intersection on a red. if you enter on an amber, it will not take a picture.

red light runners should have the book thrown at them.

Completely agree now that I know they aren't what I remember them to be.

[Hayden1]

Originally Posted by TheOrangeSpider

reminds me of a set of lights in Brisbane that are literally only green for a couple seconds, maybe 5? then off for about 30 seconds, I was surprized this was legal, considering only 6 cars in total of the two lanes, so 3 cars long only got through at a time.

If it isn't illegal then it should be. You don't expect them to be that short. If you take off, say you are the fourth or fifth car, and get distracted so you look somewhere else then the car infront brakes hard to not run the red, you go straight up their ***. Of course the only thing you should be concentrating on is the road but for some people mobile phones take priority

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by mcnamg

WA has decided to kill 2 birds with one stone all new Red light cameras now do double duty as a speed camera so anyone who speeds up to get thru the orange to avoid the red light camera gets a speeding fine

Following the Nanny state of S.A. I reckon all red light cameras in S.A are speed cameras as well.

[graham7773]

Conversation with NSW RTA guy got this. "the red light cameras fire at 0.30 seconds after the light goes red", so if you do run it and get the fine and points loss you have no excuse or reason for it. My understanding of the particular law/regulation is that when the amber light comes on, you must stop if it is safe to do so. Then there is the mob who follows Rafferty's Rules and just put their foot into it when they see an amber light from 200 meters back...

[Reaper8]

i see that many people run red lights at night its not funny, even had a statesman pull up next to me at a red then took off straight across the hwy just didnt want to wait

[BFZ Wagon]

I've noticed quite a few red light cameras in Qld have speed cameras in them now too. Installed for safety. Yeah right!!!

[Kevaclone]

Dunno about the camera being armed at .3 seconds
more like 1 second the camera is armed
the Loops under the road only activate if their state changes. So if you are stopped on the loop before the red light nothing happens. Same if there is nothing on the loop on the red. The fun starts when that state changes, IE. you move off the loop or onto it.

They have to make it longer than .3 of a second to arm the camera because trucks are a hell of a lot longer than cars, a truck can enter an intersection on a green and it can be red before the trailer clears the stop line. especially on hill starts or very short greens(Kingsford Smith Drive under the new Gateway, take off on a green and it will be red again before the prime mover has cleared the intersection). But once you are clear of that loop trigger you can be stopped in the middle of the intersection or doing donuts and not get pinged

This is where you can have some fun and set the camera off without running the red(only works on up hill roads). You pull up just past the line before the red light, wait a few seconds and release the brakes(Do not use reverse as your reverse lights are a dead giveaway) and let you car roll back, as you roll back behind the line the camera will go off taking a picture(2 pics actually) of you behind the stop line. Other ways to set it off, a bit of sheet metal about "Stop Sign" size dragging behind ya push bike or waved over the loop will set it off. Yep I've seen kids doing it

[chamb0]

Originally Posted by TheOrangeSpider

Does sound dodgy with the second removed, reminds me of a set of lights in Brisbane that are literally only green for a couple seconds, maybe 5? then off for about 30 seconds, I was surprized this was legal, considering only 6 cars in total of the two lanes, so 3 cars long only got through at a time.

I've seen similar to these in Melbourne, used at some entry points to major freeways in peak hours. Their purpose is to regulate and smooth out entering traffic by letting through a small controlled number of cars with each sequence.

[XR6Naranja]

Originally Posted by chamb0

I've seen similar to these in Melbourne, used at some entry points to major freeways in peak hours. Their purpose is to regulate and smooth out entering traffic by letting through a small controlled number of cars with each sequence.

This was if I remember a sort of intersection that was 4 lanes wide in total, and it was literally plant it or get hit basically... The other 4 lanes seemed to get a longer amount of time, and the congestion on my lane, I was amazed they allow it.

[aussie muscle]

lol

[Angeldust]

in brisbane, (old cleveland rd) it seems they have deliberatly cut short the lights at some intersections to "pile up cars' in a few areas. 2 years ago, there were not the traffic jams at these intersections at all, and im extremely frustrated everyday now on my drive to work.

Conspiracy to get us all to use the useless public transport?

[LTDHO]

I have a different opinion of red light camera than speed camera.

I'm all for RLC.

Why?

You are warned when a light is changing to red, but no warning when your speedo is tipping 3 over the limit. RLC are placed where they should be, at light controlled intersections, unlike speed camaras which are placed on open roads where no accidents occur.

In a case where there is an accident at a set of lights, without a camera it can be confirmed if a red was run, but speed will be put down as a contributor, even if under the limit. Thus justifying the 'need' for the cameras.