"PrecisionmachinisT" wrote in news:rcmdnXNeKL1cj4
:


I can happily report that our own community, through public involvement, was
recently successful at reversing city policy which had been poised to
greatly expand the use of red light cameras...

Too bad. I'd like to see red light cameras everywhere.

I live in Indianapolis, where it's very common to see drivers running red lights; in fact, in
recent years at least two members of our church have lost their lives to drivers who failed to
stop. A few years ago, I had a 6-month contract job in Columbus Ohio. The two cities are
only 175 miles apart, almost exactly the same size, very similar demographics. I noticed
one difference almost immediately: drivers in Columbus actually stop for yellow traffic lights.
Only rarely did I see a driver run a red light during the entire six months I was there. I
mentioned that at work one day... "Oh, we have red-light cameras here. Don't you?"

At this point in time they have removed all of the cameras

Wow. That was stupid.

and additionally,
city planners actually hired a consulting firm and then followed their
recomendations of instituting low-cost safety improvements which included
extending the yellow interval to meet or exceed federal standards and adding
an all-red phase to EVERY light-controlled intersection.

Giving in to the scofflaws, instead of busting them.

Which sure beats the crap out of having to try and decide within a split
second whether you'd rather get a ticket or have your dog and groceries
forcefully impact the windshield.

I call "bull****".

If "your dog and groceries [would] forcefully impact the windshield" because you stop for a
yellow light, you're driving *much* too fast. Yellow lights last long enough that drivers
traveling at or near the speed limit will *never* be faced with that false choice. If you're too
close to stop, you have enough time to go through while it's still yellow. There is *no*
excuse for being in the intersection when the light is red: if it turns red while you are in the
intersection, you were close enough to stop. *Without* endangering your dog or your
groceries.