80 replies to this topic

[hanra]

At the intersection of Mulgrave Rd and McCoombe St here in town, there has always been a fixed red light camera. Its been there for maybe 10yrs. Ok, so thats all cool no one should be running red lights.

However just thinking about Dave's post about speedo accuracy and the new QLD speeding laws :http://www.gmh-toran...e-your-speedos/

They have just upgraded this fixed red light camera to a dual Red Light/Speed Camera. So if you run a red you get fined, and if you speed up to run the yellow you get fined as well....

Now this section of road is 60klm, and the yellow light is not on for an extended period of time like on some 80klm stretches. Green... yellow... red... No dilly dallying around.

The other morning whilst squinting and staring into the low morning sun directly in front of me along Mulgrave Rd, the lights turned yellow, I knew the upgraded camera was in place, so I braked heavily to stop in time as I didnt want to speed up through the intersection. I stopped in time, however the chap next to me locked up his ute and skidded straight through the intersection, followed by a car tapping him up the ass.

I can only imagine that accidents like this will be more common, due to people being forced to come to a halt to avoid a red light camera fine or a speeding fine for going through a yellow a little bit above the posted 60klm speed zone.

Are these cameras in operation any where else?

[r2160]

This is the exact reason that all over Europe they are removing red light cameras, studies over there show that there is an increase in accidents at red light cameras.

 

A friend of my dads was driving along a stretch of road some time ago. Light went orange and she saw a car right behind her. She proceeded through. The car behind was a cop. The cop pulled her over and booked her. She said that she felt the vehicle behind was too close to stop safely. Naturally the cop didnt believe her.

 

500m up the road, the light went orange. The lady hit the brakes and the cop slammed right up the back of her.

 

Interestingly enough, in NSW at least, despite what Barry O'farrell said before the last election, the number of new speed/red light cameras has increased more dramatically than any government previously.

 

cheers

Glenn

[StephenSLR]

Surely someone has come up with a device that makes the number plate non photograph-able ?

 

There may be but it's highly illegal, I think the hairspray doesn't work and I suspect there's a few snake oil salesmen with bogus products out there.

 

My guess is the hairspray is supposed to dull the reflective properties?  Even still the non-reflective plates pre-80's still get picked up as the flash is good enough to brighten up the shot and during the day it's bright enough to read regardless.

 

There's one on the corner of Sloane St & Parramatta Rd Haberfield next to Bob Jane's.

 

A friend stayed at the Illinois Hotel Five Dock, there's a camera on the same corner and he had a lot of trouble sleeping due to car tyres screeching to a halt for the red light camera, what's worse was semi-trailers, you'd hear all the brake hydraulics, the wheels locking up and the wheels bouncing to a halt added a little bit of tremor to the noise.

 

s

Edited by StephenSLR, 24 July 2013 - 09:15 AM.

[S pack]

Surely someone has come up with a device that makes the number plate non photographable ? if that is even a word !!  without physically covering the plate..?

Best thing I can think of is a number plate cover that works like the auto darkening lenses on some welding masks. Only problem is headlights shining on the number plates might make them go black.

[sibhs]

Yes Hanra, we have them in Perth too. Marty

[rexy]

Come to Victoria, the place is coated in them. Can rarely drive more than a couple of km before passing yet another camera. Many have been upgraded in recent times to dual speed/red light capability.
I don't have a problem with them. Drive with awareness and to the local conditions and there is no issue.

[TerrA LX]

There is no issue if you are not speeding and you stop for the red light.

 

The ones in NSW clock you for speeding ANYTIME but only get you for the red light if you cross the line on the red light.

[Dr Terry]

They have the hide to call these new cameras "safe-t-cams". They're not safe all, the incidence of low speed collisions has increased in many areas, but that doesn't matter as long revenue is increased, that's the main game.

 

Dr Terry

[Potta]

I still don't buy the "its all about revenue" thing.

 

In some cases I can see an argument for it, but on the whole, if there wasn't the fear of being caught doing something stupid there would be a whole lot more people doing stupid stuff.

 

4 way intersections provide opportunity for extreme carnage, so I don't have a problem with these at all.

[S pack]

Best thing would be for the monetary penalty on traffic offenses be removed and only have a loss of demerit points apply. Then no one could claim red light & speed cameras are purely for revenue raising.

[TerrA LX]

What's so bad about revenue raising, they only penalise the guilty, and the money has to come from somewhere to pay for everything we take for granted.

[hanra]

There is no issue if you are not speeding and you stop for the red light.

Well... yes there is an issue.... and that is the driver of the vehicle behind me not expecting me to stop on the yellow light.

[S pack]

What's so bad about revenue raising, they only penalise the guilty, and the money has to come from somewhere to pay for everything we take for granted.

True, but I was just making an observation. No monetary penalty and the 'purely revenue raising' argument goes out the window.

[StephenSLR]

they only penalise the guilty

 

I don't have a problem with that but if you have to slam on brakes or misjudge your speed by only a few km/hr it's taking advantage of us where a cop seeing us do the same thing would let us off.

 

s

[S pack]

Well... yes there is an issue.... and that is the driver of the vehicle behind me not expecting me to stop on the yellow light.

We need better driver training. Drivers should always expect the driver in front of them is going to stop for a amber light, and even if the driver in front of you goes through that doesn't mean you should too.

 

Anyways, red light cameras don't operate on the amber light, only the red, and it is legal to proceed through an amber light if you are unable to safely stop without going over the stop line, something like that, I forget the exact wording of the law.

Edited by S pack, 24 July 2013 - 12:52 PM.

[hanra]

We need better driver training. Drivers should always expect the driver in front of them is going to stop for a yellow light, and even if the driver in front of you goes through that doesn't mean you should too.
 
Anyways, red light cameras don't operate on the amber light, only the red, and it is legal to proceed through an amber light if you are unable to safely stop without going over the stop line, something like that, I forget the exact wording of the law.

I agree Dave, but just referring to this comment:

There is no issue if you are not speeding and you stop for the red light.

I may be doing the right thing and following the road rules by not speeding and stopping for the red, but I just cant expect the person behind me is going to, so there is always going to be an issue.

And this is taken from the QLD DOT website:

You must not drive past the STOP line at the yellow traffic light or, if there is no STOP line, the traffic light.

The yellow light is not the end of the green light phase – it is the beginning of the red light phase. You must STOP on a yellow light, unless it is unsafe to do so.

If it is unsafe to stop, for example if you are very close to the light when it changes from green to yellow, you may proceed through the yellow light.

Edited by hanra, 24 July 2013 - 12:57 PM.

[TerrA LX]

I may be doing the right thing and following the road rules by not speeding and stopping for the red, but I just cant expect the person behind me is going to, so there is always going to be an issue.

 

 

Bit alarmist aren't you, maybe you should hand your license in now.
 

[hanra]

Well no. Not when I saw first hand someone try to stop for a yellow, then proceed to get hit from behind.

Edited by hanra, 24 July 2013 - 03:05 PM.

[Pop's-SS]

Why doesn't the cars with radar cameras on them that sit on the footpath or on the coiuncil verge NOT get booked for parking illegally

 

These are not Police or emergency vehicles, they are contractors

 

Barry

[S pack]

Why doesn't the cars with radar cameras on them that sit on the footpath or on the coiuncil verge NOT get booked for parking illegally

 

These are not Police or emergency vehicles, they are contractors

 

Barry

Me thinks they have been granted permission to break the law so as to be able to catch law breakers.