six cities busted for shortening yellow lights

[lsgs 0]

Six cities busted for shortening yellow light

Posted Apr 14th 2008 7:57AM by Chris Shunk

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Driving

 

Have you ever hit the throttle when a traffic light turns yellow, and then it turns red faster than you thought? We know it's happened to us, and for the most part we thought the problem was our bad timing. In six cities across these United States, missing a yellow light has less to do with bad timing, and more to do with shorter amber signals.

 

Six cities have been busted recently for having an amber light that lasted less than the minimum timing at an intersection, and millions of dollars in fines have been collected when drivers went through the premature red and got caught on camera. Chattanooga, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; Springfield, Missouri; Lubbock, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; and Union City, California all cut the timing on their lights, and while some have paid back the fines, others have not. In Dallas, over $700,000 was collected in a matter of eight months, and in Tennessee the light timing was changed at only a few intersections, which just so happen to be the areas where local law enforcement set up traps.

 

While the millions of dollars in fines collected in these six cities is horrible, what's worse is that shorter amber lights mean more accidents and more injuries on the road. Hit the link below to read more information regarding the cities that were caught cheating, and if you get pulled over for blowing a red, make sure to time the light. The problem may not be you after all. Thanks for the tip, Thunder!

 

[source: National Motorists Association]

[TheDriver 23]

That pisses me off.

 

Those traffic cameras are scary. It's another step towards the UK, where almost every step you take outdoors in an urban environment is on camera.

 

Ready to get really pissed?

 

Read this.

[Navy87Guy 1]

I'm not putting a lot of stock in their claims. Have you checked these guys out? Here.

 

They want to get rid of air bags and raise blood alcohol limits for drunk driving? No thanks!

 

Besides, someone explain to me the nationally enforceable "standard" for traffic light timing. I doubt the Commonwealth of Virginia is being regulated by some Federal agency when it comes to light timing. As a matter of fact, it's illegal in Virginia to accelerate through a yellow light - you are only allowed to maintain your current speed. I call "shenanigans".

 

The fact that their website doesn't work doesn't add to their credibility, either.

 

Jim

[MickeyMouse 0]

I'm not putting a lot of stock in their claims. Have you checked these guys out? Here.

 

They want to get rid of air bags and raise blood alcohol limits for drunk driving? No thanks!

 

Besides, someone explain to me the nationally enforceable "standard" for traffic light timing. I doubt the Commonwealth of Virginia is being regulated by some Federal agency when it comes to light timing. As a matter of fact, it's illegal in Virginia to accelerate through a yellow light - you are only allowed to maintain your current speed. I call "shenanigans".

 

The fact that their website doesn't work doesn't add to their credibility, either.

 

Jim

 

 

I find I am in agreement with EVERY ONE of their ideas, except maybe the position on elderly drivers amd helmet laws.

 

DUI limits are nuts - when no crash is involved .08 is insanity as is .1 or even .15 NFW that is right. DUI law is only a cash cow.

 

Actually, nearly all traffic laws are manioplulated to raise revenue, not enhance safety.

 

Air bags are a creature of the insurance industry. They most certainly are not a life saver. For small women and children they are KILLERS.

[Navy87Guy 1]

I find I am in agreement with EVERY ONE of their ideas, except maybe the position on elderly drivers amd helmet laws.

 

DUI limits are nuts - when no crash is involved .08 is insanity as is .1 or even .15 NFW that is right. DUI law is only a cash cow.

 

You must be a revolver guy, right? You like to load up one bullet and play Russian roulette? Hey, I didn't die -- all that worrying is ridiculous!

 

Gimme a break! The fact that some impaired driver was lucky enough to get pulled over before he had the opportunity to kill someone doesn't eliminate the violation. No harm, no foul, huh?

 

You want to mandate helmet laws - which only prevent Darwin from being proved right - but you're willing to turn a bunch of drunks loose on the road as long as they don't get into an accident?? And why would you want to limit elderly drivers...could it be because they might be impaired and could possibly cause an accident? Why not just wait until it happens, then nail them to the wall? That seems to be your logic train (which is heading for a derailment!)

 

As far as air bags, have you looked at the statistics? 229 deaths have been attributed to air bags since 1990 - compared to over 10,000 lives saved. 119 of those deaths were children -- and 91 of those kids weren't using a seat belt and 24 of them were using it improperly. It certainly would be tragic to lose a child like that, but when you consider the facts not the hysteria, it doesn't play out to air bags being "killers".

 

People never cease to amaze me.....

 

Jim

[IndyArms 10,186]

The mother of my children was in a crash... some idiot turned directly in front of her, she plowed into that car at 55 mph...

 

She shattered both ankles and broke her wrist... spent 2 weeks in the hospital, 5 surgeries, 6 months recovery at home, and is now permanently disabled... I am thankful the AIRBAG WORKED... if it didnt, I am SURE she would have been killed...

 

Maybe they shouldnt be MANDATED... ( like the blaze orange issue for hunters) ... but I sure as HELL WANT ONE in my vehicle when I or someone I love is going to be in it...

 

 

[22_Shooter 1,560]

I find I am in agreement with EVERY ONE of their ideas, except maybe the position on elderly drivers amd helmet laws.

 

DUI limits are nuts - when no crash is involved .08 is insanity as is .1 or even .15 NFW that is right. DUI law is only a cash cow.

 

You must be a revolver guy, right? You like to load up one bullet and play Russian roulette? Hey, I didn't die -- all that worrying is ridiculous!

 

Gimme a break! The fact that some impaired driver was lucky enough to get pulled over before he had the opportunity to kill someone doesn't eliminate the violation. No harm, no foul, huh?

 

You want to mandate helmet laws - which only prevent Darwin from being proved right - but you're willing to turn a bunch of drunks loose on the road as long as they don't get into an accident?? And why would you want to limit elderly drivers...could it be because they might be impaired and could possibly cause an accident? Why not just wait until it happens, then nail them to the wall? That seems to be your logic train (which is heading for a derailment!)

 

As far as air bags, have you looked at the statistics? 229 deaths have been attributed to air bags since 1990 - compared to over 10,000 lives saved. 119 of those deaths were children -- and 91 of those kids weren't using a seat belt and 24 of them were using it improperly. It certainly would be tragic to lose a child like that, but when you consider the facts not the hysteria, it doesn't play out to air bags being "killers".

 

People never cease to amaze me.....

 

Jim

 

+1 to that. To say people should be allowed to drive drunk is ridiculous . How hard is it to call a f*cking cab? I mean honestly. I've seen people drop TONS of money on drinks for themselves and other people at a bar, and then act like paying $10-$20 for a cab is outrageous.

 

Now as far as helmet laws are concerned, I don't think they should be mandatory. It's not like choosing to not wear a helmet is going to kill someone else. But there's no way in hell, if/when I get a bike, I would choose to not wear a helmet. I will admit, when I first got my quad, I didn't even buy a helmet, thinking I wouldn't need it. As soon as a got on it, and thumb-banged that thing, I was at a shop 15 minutes later buying a helmet.

[G O B 3,516]

I was screwed by the first redlight camera DC put in. The seriously screwed up the timing to make $$$$. Fortunatly several IMPORTANT members of Congress were screwed also, and forced the DC Government to fix the timing on the lights, and refund all the fines.

[ClickClickD'oh 1]

DUI limits are nuts - when no crash is involved .08 is insanity as is .1 or even .15 NFW that is right. DUI law is only a cash cow.

You're either a troll or a retard. Which one?

[Dullbert 0]

I'm not putting a lot of stock in their claims. Have you checked these guys out? Here.

 

They want to get rid of air bags and raise blood alcohol limits for drunk driving? No thanks!

 

Besides, someone explain to me the nationally enforceable "standard" for traffic light timing. I doubt the Commonwealth of Virginia is being regulated by some Federal agency when it comes to light timing. As a matter of fact, it's illegal in Virginia to accelerate through a yellow light - you are only allowed to maintain your current speed. I call "shenanigans".

 

The fact that their website doesn't work doesn't add to their credibility, either.

 

Jim

 

Hey, they repealed the national 55 mph speed limit you gotta give'm respect for that!

[Bvamp 604]

there is a yellow light in poughkeepsie NY on smith street that is WAY WAY too short, and is the first light from a GRADE SCHOOL. If i had to say the time on it, it is about 1.5 seconds yellow. it is in a 25 mph zone, but still.

 

there should be a national standard that cannot be deviated from, or ELSE.

 

There are a couple here where I moved to that arent right, either. But I come from where you dont have a stop sign or traffic light for 20 miles in any direction, so what would I know, anyway, right?

[Reverendfranz 160]

.15 is a bit extreme of a claim, ill admit, and i understand its a touchy subject, but i will state a fact that i found quite deciding in my own view. Now that all 50 states were forced into adopting a .08 BAL by President Clinton, DUI arrests have more than tripled in most states, but the accident rate is far from being reduced twofold. In some states it went down, yes, but not in all, and in more than one, its gone up. That leads me to believe the law is either a failure, or was not intended to make you safer, as claimed. Nothing to do with public safety, and everything to do with money and control.

[ClickClickD'oh 1]

That leads me to believe the law is either a failure, or was not intended to make you safer, as claimed.

 

Those of us who spend a great deal of time fighting the idiotic rhetoric of the gun control lobby should know better.

 

No law protects you. The law can't protect you. Laws are there only to punish offenders.

[banshee 69]

we have a few of those camera enforced light here were I live and I think the yellow light is set to short.

On the DUI stuff. I have NO tolerance for drunk drivers and think the blood alcohol limit should be 0.0

[calemmett 0]

One point on the yellow light question. The legal meaning of this signal is "stop if you can do so without endangering the car behind you" (like that 18-wheeler 6 feet off your tailpipe), which makes those who step on the gas automatically wrong. You can easily calculate what the proper time at a given intersection is if you know the width of the intersection and can estimate (or better yet determine) a reasonable stopping distance at the speed limit. Speed in feet per second is about 1.5 times speed in mph. A car traveling at 30 mph is going 45 fps. If the intersection is 50 feet wide and we assume a 50 foot stopping distance, the car must cover 100 feet at 45 fps, which takes 2.22 seconds. Obviously, 1.5 isn't enough here. You'll get a lot more attention from your city fathers if you present hard facts like this than if you simply piss and moan here.