Mississippi Bans Traffic Cameras

[The Straight Story]

Mississippi Bans Traffic Cameras
Red Light, Speeding Cameras Still Allowed In Louisiana


NEW ORLEANS -- While some Louisiana drivers look to the courts to remove automated traffic cameras from area roads, Mississippi has enacted a measure that bans the systems under state law.

Gov. Haley Barbour signed into effect a bill that prohibits the red light and speed-enforcement cameras and requires the removal of existing systems.

The cities of Jackson and Columbus already use the cameras. Tupelo, Natchez, Southaven and McComb had been considering them.

A representative for the governor said Barbour decided to sign the bill into law after being assured by the Mississippi Highway Patrol that law-enforcement officers would still be able to use dashboard cameras to catch speeders.

http://www.wdsu.com/gulfcoast/18993180/detail.html

[librechik]

1. heh--

can't have documentary proof in court--what if the MS cop wants to claim that DFH was speeding and the camera says no?

We can't have that in MS.

[LuvNewcastle]

2. Finally our governor does something

I can agree with.

[lame54]

3. And Mississippi leads the way

[frazzled]

4. Minnesota Supreme Court struck down red-light cameras in 2007

Lack of due process, plus inequal application of laws

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/16/1688.asp

[lame54]

5. let's hope it's a trend

[MindPilot]

6. About time! Those things should be banned under federal law!

They are nothing but automated revenue generators, and study after study has shown that they actually increase collisions.

[JFN1]

7. I have mixed feelings about this

I've been cited by photo radar twice, when I wasn't speeding. Went to court, and both tickets were dismissed. So I don't believe in their accuracy, or fairness.

But red light cameras - that is a different matter. I believe they do contribute to safer driving at intersections, and no one has any business (except first responders) running through a red light anyway. If you even come close - you are an irresponsible driver, in my book. Running a red light because one is in a hurry is just plain selfish and dangerous - there are very few day-to-day situations where seconds count enough to justify ignoring such important safety rules.

[The Straight Story]

8. I heard a guy on the radio sometime back talking about this whole issue

I think it was in Australia that they found that simply increasing the length of the yellow light some they reduced problems a ton, but cameras had the opposite affect.

Had to do with people worrying about where they were at what time in the intersection and hesitating, adding to rear-end crashes and the like.

[cabluedem]

9. Studies show the red-light cams cuase more rear end accidents. nt

[truebrit71]

10. Red-light cameras result in MORE accidents not fewer....almost all of them rear-enders...

..they are revenue generators nothing more...and I must confess I am amazed that MS and Haley Barbour aka Boss Hog would ban them...

[JFN1]

11. I stand corrected.

Hadn't thought about the panicky who slam their brakes on because of the red light cameras. And I seem to recall reading a while back that making the yellow light longer stopped much of the abuse...

[MindPilot]

12. You are right, my firsthand experience:

Recently an RLC was added at an intersection I've traveled every day for a decade. I've never seen a crash at that intersection; it isn't a fast or inherently dangerous intersection, but it is complicated. About six streets and a freeway on-ramp all converge at this one point. It is a perfect place for someone unfamiliar with the intersection to get confused and miss the light and it's a block from a DMV office. Beginning to look like a kind of "target-rich" environment?

Now when I approach that intersection, I am focused entirely on that light; a kid could come running out in front of me and I probably wouldn't see them because I am fixated on that light. I ride my brakes, and if that light goes yellow, I'm clamping them on regardless of how close I am to the limit line.

I think for most drivers, the deterrent effect of getting t-boned by a semi far outweighs the deterrent of a spending a few hundred bucks for a ticket. At least that's why I don't drive through red lights.

For the vast majority of people who "run" red lights, it is not wanton disregard for the law or even selfishness; it is simply bad timing. And in many many cases intersections that have problems can be fixed by simply altering the timing--usually lengthening the yellow.

But instead of getting traffic engineers to study the problem intersections and actually fix the problems, municipalities will use the problem intersections to extort money from the motoring public.

Fact is that in many cases after RLC installations, the yellow time is actually shortened to improve the "effectiveness" of the camera system. Here in San Diego, they were caught not only shortening the yellow time, but also setting the trigger point ahead of the limit line.

[JFN1]

13. I read about that

they tried that in Portland a while back, too - didn't work, except as a revenue stream for the city, as I recall...