Traffic Light Cameras?

[crow]

Does Tupelo really need Traffic Light Cameras Could this be nothing more than Another Scheme laid on the Good Folks of this City, by those Glad-Hand Revenuers (City Council) Every Council meeting I attend, I'm given another reason to regret the way I Voted.

[wittzo]

On one hand, it would be a good thing, especially when two or three jerks turn on red making the oncoming traffic wait for them and shortening their time on green. On the other hand, it would suck if you were one of the jerks and got a ticket...

[motorcop]

It's pretty easy really.....
if you don't want a red light ticket, stop when the light is red.
if you don't want a speeding ticket, don't speed.
if you speed and run thru red lights, accept your tickets, shut up, and quit whinning.
you did it, now pay up and remember what lesson you just learned.
look at it as the cost of tuition....

[Crimson]

Traffic light cameras can be very effective if used properly. When I drive (aside to and from work) my 2 year old son and wife are usually in the car with me. I cannot count how many times I've almost plowed into someone making a left hand turn at a light because they gunned it as soon as the light turned green instead of yeilding right-of-way as they should. Or the case where someone sees yellow and guns it when I'm waiting to make a left hand turn making it so I'm sitting in the middle of the intersection under a red light while the person trying to get through the yellow light holds me up.

Go ahead, put in traffic cameras. I'm fine with it as long as it's done properly and those of us who are actually good drivers can continue to drive safely.

[granny2young]

I have mixed feelings here. I can see the good potential and ideas behind the cameras, but hypothetically, if I let a neighbor borrow my truck to move some furniture and he runs a red light and I am sent the ticket because it's my tag, registered to my address. Should I have to pay for that? I read it was going to take pictures of the tag.

[Crimson]

granny2young said:

I have mixed feelings here. I can see the good potential and ideas behind the cameras, but hypothetically, if I let a neighbor borrow my truck to move some furniture and he runs a red light and I am sent the ticket because it's my tag, registered to my address. Should I have to pay for that? I read it was going to take pictures of the tag.

This same procedure, as I've seen it in other areas, also takes a picture of the driver... at least the one's in Charlotte do.

[beastmanjack]

I think camera at inter sections are a good Idea, They have installed them at certain intersections in Columbus and the drivers know where they are. so they do slow down and stop at red lights. It can also help in traffic accidents by showing on camera who was wrong. it will slow down ( NOT STOP) those people whp speed up and try and beat the light, going thru a yellow. If you loan your car/truck to somebody and he gets caught running a red light or speeding, yes you will recieve a ticket, you can pay it they take that person to small claims court and try to recoup your money.

[granny2young]

that sounds like a hastle and a scheme lawyers will love. Take more money from me to get a little money from my neighbor and the lawyer is the only one getting rich, and my insurance still goes up because it's on MY DMV record. If there is no picture of the driver (which is going to be hard to take a picture of the driver and the tag at the same time) I suffer the consequences, even if I am not driving. Only solution to beat the system, don't have a car in your name.

[Crimson]

granny2young said:

that sounds like a hastle and a scheme lawyers will love. Take more money from me to get a little money from my neighbor and the lawyer is the only one getting rich, and my insurance still goes up because it's on MY DMV record. If there is no picture of the driver (which is going to be hard to take a picture of the driver and the tag at the same time) I suffer the consequences, even if I am not driving. Only solution to beat the system, don't have a car in your name.

The system in Charlotte has a second camera mounted to a utility pole on the other side of the light that will take the picture of the driver.

[crow]

granny2young said:

I have mixed feelings here. I can see the good potential and ideas behind the cameras, but hypothetically, if I let a neighbor borrow my truck to move some furniture and he runs a red light and I am sent the ticket because it's my tag, registered to my address. Should I have to pay for that? I read it was going to take pictures of the tag.

According to City Council Members, whoever the tag is registered to will have to pay the fine.

And no the traffic light cameras, will only photograph the tag.

[granny2young]

that is the way I read it, only the tag and whoever owns the car gets the ticket. I can foresee a money-making scheme in the realm of this; tons of tickets, lawyers to sue other people for getting them a ticket they had to pay; court dockets packed for wrongful tickets (wrong driver); and the insurance companies up'ing those rates because the car is in your name. Don't matter what kind of safe driver you are, we all can be affected.

I am not totally opposed to the cameras, I just wish they had a better system and I can see more cons in the system than pros.

[TF Admin]

I always thought that was wierd too. It still seems odd even after my brief stint as a reserve officer. How can you give a ticket to someone who was not driving the vehicle?

TFADMIN

[crow]

I understand the need of traffic safety, I know the police can't be everywher in the city at the same time, and i'm sure they do the best they can. I'm also sure each individual must bare the responsibility for the safe operation of his or her auto. Some responsibility should be placed on whoever determines the timing of our traffic lights. We all know many red lights in this town is just to darn long, which precipitates the running of red lights.

And its not that i'm so much opposed to traffic light cameras, it's the thought of what it could bring in the future.

What's next: Cameras on every street corner, in restaurants? Then how long would it be before cameras are in our autos, homes, in our bedrooms, or God forbid in our bathrooms. Could this be only the first phase of implementing BIG BROTHER?

[Crimson]

We've already got cameras just about everywhere. Ever look at the top edge of the Wal-mart buildings? There's a whole slew of camera's there to 'monitor the parking lot'.

As far as the traffic cameras go... I don't care either way. No one drives my vehicles besides me so that doesn't affect me. But what of U-haul's and other rental modes of transportation? They going to write tickets to the companies that own them? What about the people that have the dark tinted film over their license plates? Or those that have them mounted in the back glass of their vehicle?

[crow]

There are just to many what-ifs, for traffic light cameras to work, with true justice!