Police chief denounces 'cowardly' iPhone users monitoring speed traps
-
Photo radar tickets generated nearly $1 billion in revenues for D.C. during fiscal years 2005 to 2008. That surely can not be true.
$1 billion over 4 years? yeah, $250 million per year, that's totally possible. Consider that a typical highway in a metro area like DC has 20-50 million cars passing any one point per year. If the photo-cops catch 1% of those cars speeding and give tickets that's around $3 to $4 million dollars per year per point. (avg ticket cost: $100) Now, just setup 100 of these photo machines. That's $300-$400 million per year. Now over 4 years, that's $1 billion or more. Yeah, safety my a$$, it's about revenue.
-
$1 billion over 4 years? yeah, $250 million per year, that's totally possible. Consider that a typical highway in a metro area like DC has 20-50 million cars passing any one point per year. If the photo-cops catch 1% of those cars speeding and give tickets that's around $3 to $4 million dollars per year per point. (avg ticket cost: $100) Now, just setup 100 of these photo machines. That's $300-$400 million per year. Now over 4 years, that's $1 billion or more. Yeah, safety my a$$, it's about revenue.
ahmed zahmed wrote:
it's about revenue
Indeed, fines are all about making money; if they wanted to stop drivers from speeding there'd be jail time.
-
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Devices-that-warn-drivers-of-speed_-red-light-cameras-draw-police-ire-7930619-50074717.html[^] :wtf: BTW, I use this app on my iPhone.
రవికాంత్
"I think that's the whole point of this program," she told The Examiner. "It's designed to circumvent law enforcement -- law enforcement that is designed specifically to save lives." - D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier Wow, that is so far off reality that it saddens me this person is in public office (is police chief elected or appointed? I know sherif is elected..not sure about police chief). The cameras aren't there to PREVENT people from speeding, they are there to dole out punishment (and generate revenue) from people speeding. However, this application actually does MORE to prevent accidents at these intersections than the cammeras because people actually slow down and pay attention when the alarm goes off telling them to do so rather than blindly running through the light while talking to the person next to them.
-
ahmed zahmed wrote:
it's about revenue
Indeed, fines are all about making money; if they wanted to stop drivers from speeding there'd be jail time.
ah, but then they'd have to build more jails. community service might be more appropriate, less costly.
-
$1 billion over 4 years? yeah, $250 million per year, that's totally possible. Consider that a typical highway in a metro area like DC has 20-50 million cars passing any one point per year. If the photo-cops catch 1% of those cars speeding and give tickets that's around $3 to $4 million dollars per year per point. (avg ticket cost: $100) Now, just setup 100 of these photo machines. That's $300-$400 million per year. Now over 4 years, that's $1 billion or more. Yeah, safety my a$$, it's about revenue.
ahmed zahmed wrote:
it's about revenue.
Well in Atlanta at least some counties are losing money because of the speed cameras. They are not able to pay off to the company which installed the cameras. I heard it on a radio news, I will update with a link if I find one.
-
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Devices-that-warn-drivers-of-speed_-red-light-cameras-draw-police-ire-7930619-50074717.html[^] :wtf: BTW, I use this app on my iPhone.
రవికాంత్
What an idiot. If he kept quiet and fed misinformation into the system--like more traffic lights with cameras--then people would actually drive safer in those areas. And as others have said, knowing this info makes you more cautious, so it's a GOOD thing. F***** morons in law enforcement. But then again, "innocent until proven guilty" just sounds nice, but isn't how you're viewed by those with the big sticks and guns. Marc
I'm not overthinking the problem, I just felt like I needed a small, unimportant, uninteresting rant! - Martin Hart Turner
-
ah, but then they'd have to build more jails. community service might be more appropriate, less costly.
-
Photo radar tickets generated nearly $1 billion in revenues for D.C. during fiscal years 2005 to 2008. That surely can not be true.
-
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Devices-that-warn-drivers-of-speed_-red-light-cameras-draw-police-ire-7930619-50074717.html[^] :wtf: BTW, I use this app on my iPhone.
రవికాంత్
Like the cowardly cops that run 105+mph in a 70mph zone on I-95 constantly in South Florida.
Need custom software developed? I do C# development and consulting all over the United States. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
-
ahmed zahmed wrote:
community service might be more appropriate, less costly.
Lifetime driving ban? Three strikes.
Bob Emmett
That's still worse than death sentence in the US
Don't attribute to stupidity what can be equally well explained by buerocracy.
My latest article | Linkify!| FoldWithUs! | sighist -
Like the cowardly cops that run 105+mph in a 70mph zone on I-95 constantly in South Florida.
Need custom software developed? I do C# development and consulting all over the United States. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
Like the cowardly cops that run 105+mph in a 70mph zone on I-95 constantly in South Florida.
Hey ... I think that same cop just drove past me ... here in Atlanta ...
:..::. Douglas H. Troy ::..
Bad Astronomy |VCF|wxWidgets|WTL -
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
Like the cowardly cops that run 105+mph in a 70mph zone on I-95 constantly in South Florida.
Hey ... I think that same cop just drove past me ... here in Atlanta ...
:..::. Douglas H. Troy ::..
Bad Astronomy |VCF|wxWidgets|WTLStupid Dekalb County now "Stricty" enforcing the speed limit on 285, now I have to run 70mph instead of 90 :(
Need custom software developed? I do C# development and consulting all over the United States. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
-
Stupid Dekalb County now "Stricty" enforcing the speed limit on 285, now I have to run 70mph instead of 90 :(
Need custom software developed? I do C# development and consulting all over the United States. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
I'm surprised you can even go that fast on 285 ... most of the time when I get on it ... I'm luck to hit 5mph. Freak'in traffic.
:..::. Douglas H. Troy ::..
Bad Astronomy |VCF|wxWidgets|WTL -
ah, but then they'd have to build more jails. community service might be more appropriate, less costly.
Hmmm... maybe a pyramid scheme... make the caught offender work the van until they catch someone else. :-D
-
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Devices-that-warn-drivers-of-speed_-red-light-cameras-draw-police-ire-7930619-50074717.html[^] :wtf: BTW, I use this app on my iPhone.
రవికాంత్
It's OK - Steve's dealing with it[^] :laugh:
Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p
-
I'm surprised you can even go that fast on 285 ... most of the time when I get on it ... I'm luck to hit 5mph. Freak'in traffic.
:..::. Douglas H. Troy ::..
Bad Astronomy |VCF|wxWidgets|WTLRepresent :)
Need custom software developed? I do C# development and consulting all over the United States. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
-
ahmed zahmed wrote:
community service might be more appropriate, less costly.
Lifetime driving ban? Three strikes.
Bob Emmett
I hope you're not serious. 'speeding' is a victimless crime, it does not affect road deaths, as the lack of change in stats at home ( they are actually up ) proves.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
-
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Devices-that-warn-drivers-of-speed_-red-light-cameras-draw-police-ire-7930619-50074717.html[^] :wtf: BTW, I use this app on my iPhone.
రవికాంత్
How on Earth is it cowardly? You're not running away from something - you're just been given warning that there are radars there. If these were truly safety cameras then they would have BIG warnings telling you to slow down and take extra care at specific areas. Their goal should actually be $0 revenue from those cameras. If they don't want fixed cameras to be seen or known then they are revenue generators, plain and simple. As to breathalyser points, I reckon if you have the nouse to not only remember to fire up your iPhone, can drive and monitor it at the same time, and can avoid one of them then I reckon you have already passed stage 1 of the sobriety test. Stage 2 should be random, mobile, short placement testing stations. So then who cares if people are reporting them? They'll be gone in 5 mins...
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
-
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Devices-that-warn-drivers-of-speed_-red-light-cameras-draw-police-ire-7930619-50074717.html[^] :wtf: BTW, I use this app on my iPhone.
రవికాంత్
My favorite part of the article. "and 'people who overly rely on those and break the law anyway are going to get caught' in one way or another." Nice to know that the gods of justice will be meting out traffic tickets. Carma, I guess.
_____________________________ What if life IS fair. And everyone is getting what they deserve.
-
I hope you're not serious. 'speeding' is a victimless crime, it does not affect road deaths, as the lack of change in stats at home ( they are actually up ) proves.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
Christian Graus wrote:
'speeding' is a victimless crime, it does not affect road deaths
So exceeding the speed limit, thus having to take a tight corner in the centre of the road, causing an oncoming vehicle to swerve into a garden wall, is victimless? The only (2) 'near death' experiences I have had were as a passenger in a car being driven by a (sober) young (25ish) man in excess of the speed limit. On each occasion the driver had to pull over and take time to collect himself before continuing, in a more subdued manner. On each occasion their excess speed was the cause of our predicament. If a sign says 30mph, if you disagree, fight to get it changed. Until then, why not obey it? BTW: If everyone has the same attitude towards speeding as you, how would introducing speed limits ever reduce the number of road deaths?
Bob Emmett