This thread is hilarious. Despite occasional howls of "revenue raising!" from the furious few who don't want to be punished for breaking the law (wow, how dare the police issue you with a fine for driving too fast), speed cameras work just fine in Australia and New Zealand.
If only the world was the hyper-simplified, black and white, small picture, one-sided coin that you see it as, I guess that would be the case.
It reminds me of when the right-wingers in my country say things like, "If you're not doing anything wrong, then why do you care that the government taps your phones?" If you have to ask the question, you probably wouldn't understand the answer.
As far as cameras in Au working just fine,
they don't. Sorry!
Are those people sick or just stupid? Can't they slow the fuck down for just a minute to be within limits? Let alone they are probably losing time or are at least even since they have to detour. I honestly don't understand such people.
And hitting the brakes even if you're not above the limit? Sure they feel safe to drive?
I think they're a combination of frightened and stupid. They don't understand how the cameras work, so they have no idea what they need to do to avoid a ticket. Thus, they err on the side of coming almost to a complete stop.
Sometimes it's like they think there's a little man in the camera, or that there's an officer watching them real-time while looking at their record. Like maybe if they drive even slower than the already artificially reduced limit, then they'll get some sort of extra credit for good behavior.
As far as the cutting through the neighborhoods, I think that's more about principal than it is about saving time. Also, if the camera creates a traffic back-up (which it does pretty much every rush hour) then the detour probably saves time.
For the record, the roads they've chosen to post cameras on are among the safest in the county. The locations weren't chosen for their accident history, they were chosen by topography. Most of them have been posted at locations where there is a significant drop in the speed limit, and they've been places just a few yards past the sign. Other "traffic calming" measures have been proven in our county to be far more effective than the cameras (thinks like round-abouts, etc) but those don't make any money, so there's no financial incentive to use them.
The speed camera makers have also been
schmoozing our local elected officials with gifts and kickbacks.
According to Maryland state lobbying disclosures, the company which runs Montgomery County's speed camera program, Texas based ACS State and Local Solutions, currently retains a team of at least 8 lobbyists at one of the state's most successful lobbying firms, Alexander & Cleaver. The State Ethics Commission releases an annual report on companies spending over 50,000 on lobbying activities, and ACS has been on that list each year from 2006-2008.
In 2007, prior to the nearly successful statewide speed camera bill, they spent $144,346.74 on lobbying activities. ACS spent an additional $81,460.13 in 2008 through October 31, 2008 on this effort. ACS's lobbying activities during the 2008 general Assembly included $6286.13 on two banquets at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse on January 29 and February 6, 2008 for members of the House Environmental Matters Senate Judicial Proceedings, House Appropriations, and Senate Budget and Taxation Committees.
Anyway, there have been some
law suits and ethics investigations concerning these things. But it's bad enough to make me vote a straight republican ticket in our next state election.
I'd be toast!
they just sit on the sides of the road eating donuts with a speed camera in tow.
