Red Light Means Stop
From the FNP this morning an eye opening review of recent Red Light camera offenses:
Police track red light violations
The Frederick Police Department has tracked the number of red light violations since cameras were placed at seven intersections more than two years ago.
The department recorded a total of 808 violations in September; 507 of those drivers were issued citations.
Police discarded violations for reasons including funeral processions, emergency vehicles with flashing lights, out-of-state vehicles, mismatched registrations or no record of the registration, or an unclear tag or vehicle image.
By location, the numbers break down as follows, with figures in parenthesis representing total citations since the program began:
East Third and East streets: 23 (711)
Motter Avenue and West Seventh Street: 54 (1435)
Opossumtown Pike and Thomas Johnson Drive: 74 (1861)
Rosemont Avenue and Montevue Lane: 122 (5217)
Rosemont and Schley avenues: 106 (4328)
East Patrick Street and Monocacy Boulevard: 84 (1952)
Willowdale Drive and Key Parkway: 44 (572)
Since the program began on May 31, 2005, 16,076 citations have been issued.
Drivers who receive a citation can view the video online at www.cityoffrederick.com. Click “View your red light video.” The password is the citation and registration number.
The Frederick Police Department reminds drivers to stop at the stop line, as required by law, before turning right when permitted to do so.
Violations frequently occur at Rosemont and Schley avenues and at East Patrick Street and Monocacy Boulevard.
I spent some time in Germany on business in 2005-06 and picked up 2 traffic tickets via Red Light and Speed cameras. The Germans don’t even have many road patrols anymore, relying almost entirely on cameras. I think the cameras are a good idea, especially given the evidence of the number of violations. The question is are they more important for public safety than for raising revenue?
~LizFrog~
Your last line says it all, but I think the small towns (and big) look at it as a revenue generator. It works great in Germany. Keeps everyone honest.
They need a camera in front of LaPaz Restaurant for all the crosswalk violations…that’s my pet peeve! It is the law, you have to stop for people in crosswalk.
I am suprised there are no more than a hundred or so on the rosemont lights. There are always people running the one right in front of the fort detrick entrance. I counted 2 this morning. The light speed has changed on them too. So that long intersection is bound to get you if you just happen to get stuck trying to decide should you go through or not on a just turned yellow light.
Having been stuck at all of these intersections at one time or another, and often late at night, I can’t blame people for having the urge to run them. Rosemont stands out as being particularly bad, where drivers are forced to wait for a long time before the light changes, even though they can clearly see in all directions, and there isn’t another vehicle in site. In most cases, this could be alleviated by doing a traffic survey, and changing the timing at night, or having them switch to a flashing red at 1am, when the streets are empty.
They need to put a camera up at the intersection of Patrick and Market. It’s unbelievable how often drivers run through the red light there.
Mark my words: Within five years, all the cameras will be taken down. Why? Not because the intersections have magically become safer, but because the cameras won’t generate enough revenue to warrant their existence.
I respect Chief Kim Dine, but he knows as well as I do that the purpose of any red light or speed camera is to raise revenue, not to enforce laws, as he says.
I’m opposed to any and all such cameras because they infringe on my Sixth Amendment right to face my accuser. How can I question a camera in a court of law?
And the only thing that can be proven was that a vehicle bearing my license plate was photographed in a certain area that triggers the photo. It cannot verify who the infractor is. Go ask Sen. Alex Mooney about that one; he got several tickets after his car was stolen.
I understand the problem of running red lights; I joke that the left turn arrows on West Patrick Street really mean, “Only three more cars.” But cameras are a solution that’s worse than the problem.
Cygnus said, “I’m opposed to any and all such cameras because they infringe on my Sixth Amendment right to face my accuser. How can I question a camera in a court of law?”
Cygnus, you do know that you can review the entire tape, down at police HQ? In fact, there are two sets of images for your review. Unless one is wearing a gorilla suit, the driver is almost visible. Some cities are instituting the use of forward and aft cameras, to better identify the car and driver.
The premise that cameras don’t pay for themselves is moot. The benefits of law enforcement cannot be costed out in the same way as a can of beans or a gallon of gasoline.
Above, I meant to say, “Unless one is wearing a gorilla suit, the driver is almost ALWAYS visible.”
I agree with gotbob on the cross walk problem. I can vouch for the fact that people do not stop for pedestrians in the cross walks near the creek. It is equally as bad on Market and Court St.
In Hancock, they have a great system for alerting traffic to the presence of pedestrians. There are sensors on each side of the road that trigger lights in the crosswalk to blink. When a person is waiting to cross the street, a driver is alerted by flashing lights in the road. It is impossible for drivers to miss and it makes the crosswalks a lot safer.
Why does the Willowdale/Key camera take your picture when you go through a green light at 25 mph??????
The camera on Rosemont and the 15 exit does that sometimes. It will even take pics when you are just sitting there – not even near the white line – and no one else is coming. At night when those things go off – its blinding!!
I just got a stupid ticket for a red light camera and guess what? I was not in town and my keys and car were at my house and I had someone taking care of my animals. Go figure I get the ticket and no you cannot see who is driving the car. Just the car going through the light and 2 photos of the back of my car.
So I get hammered for 78.00 and I did not even run it. If they are going to use cameras then maybe they should take a before and after shot i Would have at the very least waived at them!
Where was that? I’m wondering what the fine is in Frederick. Does anyone know?
Didn’t even know there was a thread for Red lights on the site!! Even though this is kinda a GREEN light post!
) Wonder if the City of Frederick would consider it? It really gets aggravating. If the intersection isn’t open, don’t pull into it.
I have found that since the East Street by pass has been completed, there has been a significant increase in traffic thru the Shab Row area during the evening rush. I am sure that is part of what the by-pass was to accomplish, to pull some of the traffic off of Route 15, but another problem has surfaced now. It seems that people going north bound on East Street don’t think that they should keep the intersection of E 2nd Street open. The light may be green and traffic is stopped way up ahead because of a red light at 4th and they think this allows them to pull into the East Street/2nd Street intersection and wait. In the meantime, my light heading west on 2nd Street turns green and you have to sit there and wait for cars parked in the intersection to GET OUT OF THE WAY! Many times in the last few weeks, I have had to wait thru two or three lights for these people hung out in the intersection with no where to go. In New York they have a DON’T BLOCK THE BOX law. (I once got a ticket in the Village of Hempstead, LI for that violation
I’m expecting a ticket any day
I was southbound on Rosemont and coming up to where I needed to turn right onto Baughman’s Lane. It was raining hard and I was right behind a big truck that was going very slow. The light was green as I got very near the intersection (I don’t know the street name but if you turn left you go to the main gate at Detrick), the truck was still moving so I was creeping forward behind him when I looked up to see the light had gone red and I had just crossed the line for stopping. There were cars right behind me……so rather than hit the brakes I kept going through that big long intersection and made the right turn anyway. I think there is a camera there so I’m sure I was caught as “running” a red light.
Went through there again yesterday and there is no camera at that intersection. Whew! Close one!