Posted Dec 2, 2010, 8:59 am
Errant motorists snapped by the photo enforcement cameras at the intersection of Grant and Swan roads will receive citations beginning Friday.
The red light cameras have been issuing warnings for the past two weeks, said Sgt. Matt Ronstadt, a spokesman for the Tucson Police Department. The cameras are now "fully functional and ready for activation," he said.
Tickets for failure to stop at a red light and speeding while approaching the intersection will be issued beginning at noon. "Warnings will no longer be issued," Ronstadt said in a press release.
Police review all photo enforcement violations before issuing a citation, both those from fixed locations and those captured by the two van-based systems.
"In the event that the reviewing officer cannot determine with certainty that a violation occurred, the motorist is afforded the benefit of the doubt and no citation is issued," Ronstadt said.
"Speeding up to beat a red light is an intentional act and one of the most dangerous driving behaviors that a motorist can engage in," Ronstadt said. "Many intersection-related collisions can be avoided if drivers increase their awareness of their surroundings, avoid distractions while driving, obey posted speed limits, and adopt a "red means stop" as opposed to "yellow means speed up" mentality as they approach intersections."
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Cdiver, your emtional arguments are inaccurate. Red light cameras are not effective against the people you describe. You think drunks and senile people care base the decision to stop on the presence of a camera (if they even know about it)? There have indeed been serious accidents and fatalities due to people stopping short at red light camera intersections. You think no one in a small Kia has never slammed on their brakes in front of a loaded semi truck in order to avoid getting a ticket in the mail?
The reality is that cameras CANNOT identify the drivers of vehicles, so photo enforcement is just a tax collection. And if you want to save a life from red light runners, why not ban cars altogether? Why not lower the speed limits everywhere to 10mph? That would save thousands of lives? Would that be worth ti too? People make mistakes, we’re human, and mistakes will continue to be made. It is sad but it is a part of life. Unfair and ineffective law enforcement practices are not a SMALL price to pay for INCREASED accidents. Proper traffic engineering safety studies can be employed with great effectiveness and are extremely effective and intrude on no one’s rights. Why didn’t the city do a proper engineering analysis? Because they’re only interested in making money.
Reckless, drunk, aggressive, intoxicated, selfish and/or senile drivers kill thousands of innocent people each year by running red lights. There has never been a fatality from an erroneous or unjust red light camera traffic citation.
Governments and contractors involved with red light cameras must be held accountable for and correct mistakes, but the consequences of those mistakes are a puny price to pay to save even one life from being taken by a red light violator.
I love the “reviewing” comment.
Dont count on the city or for that MATTER ATS really “reviewing” the “tickets”. It is just rubber stamped!
Here is a driver in Fort Worth, TX cited for getting out of the way for a AMBULANCE!
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/weird/Camera_Nabs_Driver_for_Yielding_to_Ambulance_Dallas-Fort_Worth-110473294.html
Fight the scam!
Ban the cams!
http://www.motorists.org
http://www.banthecams.org
http://www.camerafraud.com
http://www.bancams.com
(TELL ATS TO QUIT TRYING TO DENY THE VOTE BANNING RLC IN HOUSTON! TAKE YOUR SCAMERAS DOWN!)