Archives > News Update
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Red light petition circulated
By Bill Conrad, bconrad@acnpapers.com
PLANO -- Anyone who has spent time driving in Plano has surely seen the red light cameras that tower over some of the city's most heavily trafficked intersections. The red light camera program began in 2006, but lately has entered into the crosshairs of one Plano resident.
Ron Draper has recently began circulating a petition and hopes to get at least 1,500 signatures with his goal of getting the issue on a city ballot.
"I have talked to a lot of people who don't like the cameras," Draper said. "A lot of the people feel cameras impede on the personal lives and that it presents a negative view of Plano, similar to a speed trap was. The state gave the city the authority to install the cameras, but I feel it should have been put before the voters since it affects so many people."
"All police departments have limited resources and the cameras provide us a vital tool in stopping crashes and deaths," Rushin said. "We are trying to change driver behavior and we feel this is a very vital tool in doing that. I truly believe this has a made a great difference in the safety of our community."
When a person is caught on camera running red light, they can be subject to a $75 fine. However, the violation does not go on the person's driving record and all money collected goes to a designated traffic safety fund.
"The fund can only be used for traffic safety projects," Rushin said. "The money from the citations has helped us increase drunken driving enforcement and purchase battery backups for our traffic signals."
Statistics on the city's website show that crashes involving motorists running red lights decreased 11 percent citywide from 2005, the year before the cameras were installed, to 2009. The intersections where cameras were present saw a 45 percent decrease during the same time frame.
One hurdle Draper may face is that the city charter states that voter referendums to repeal ordinances must be presented to the city secretary's office within 30 days of the ordinance is passed. With the ordinance being passed in 2006, the 30-day window has passed. The city secretary's office said it doesn't provide advice to those seeking petitions, but directs people to Article 7 of the city charter.
Those wishing for information on Draper's petition should contact him at setonway@tx.rr.com.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
srd275 wrote on Oct 12, 2011 9:11 PM:
" RLC ARE NOT about safety and the scamera side shamefully USING terrible crashes that in MANY CASES WOULD NEVER BE STOPPED BY A RLC makes the "safety" claims about as "honest" as ambulance chasers.
Most RLV crashes are plus 5 into red events many have themes like: DUI, fleeing police, not paying attention, medical/mechanical, weather related.
IN the mean time most RLC "tickets" are primarily techincal fouls:
1. Right turns on red
2. stopping over the stop line
3. split second mistakes that longer ambers stop.
The only people who don't want a vote are the scamera vendors and cities. Go google the activities of the vendors in other TX towns or WA state. They have funny way of SUING anyone WHO DARES DEMAND A VOTE BY THE PUBLIC!
(by the way 2008 and 2008 are recession years and traffic deaths US wide WENT DOWN! So "claiming" the cameras "did it" is DISHONEST!
You even have to take with a grain of salt the IIHS (funded by insurance companies) http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/33/3392.asp In fact the IIHS attempted to MISLEAD the public by claiming RLC were "improving safety" by cherry picking years. Quote: "The problem with this overly simplistic method (of the IIHS) is that it credits red light cameras with accident reductions that take place at intersections without any cameras. It also ignores the natural reduction in fatality rates that happens as automobiles become more crashworthy and hospital trauma care improves over time. Overall, between 1992 and 2008, the fatality rate nationwide dropped 28 percent. The rate is down 35 percent in 2009, representing the lowest rate since records were first kept in 1950."
Fight the SCAM!
Ban the CAMS!
www.motorists.org
www.banthecams.org
www.camerafraud.com
www.bhspi.org "
Most RLV crashes are plus 5 into red events many have themes like: DUI, fleeing police, not paying attention, medical/mechanical, weather related.
IN the mean time most RLC "tickets" are primarily techincal fouls:
1. Right turns on red
2. stopping over the stop line
3. split second mistakes that longer ambers stop.
The only people who don't want a vote are the scamera vendors and cities. Go google the activities of the vendors in other TX towns or WA state. They have funny way of SUING anyone WHO DARES DEMAND A VOTE BY THE PUBLIC!
(by the way 2008 and 2008 are recession years and traffic deaths US wide WENT DOWN! So "claiming" the cameras "did it" is DISHONEST!
You even have to take with a grain of salt the IIHS (funded by insurance companies) http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/33/3392.asp In fact the IIHS attempted to MISLEAD the public by claiming RLC were "improving safety" by cherry picking years. Quote: "The problem with this overly simplistic method (of the IIHS) is that it credits red light cameras with accident reductions that take place at intersections without any cameras. It also ignores the natural reduction in fatality rates that happens as automobiles become more crashworthy and hospital trauma care improves over time. Overall, between 1992 and 2008, the fatality rate nationwide dropped 28 percent. The rate is down 35 percent in 2009, representing the lowest rate since records were first kept in 1950."
Fight the SCAM!
Ban the CAMS!
www.motorists.org
www.banthecams.org
www.camerafraud.com
www.bhspi.org "
demere wrote on Oct 12, 2011 10:24 PM:
" DO NOT BE FOOLED. THIS IS A TAX. IT IS ANOTHER WAY FOR THE CITY TO GET MONEY!!!
People need to be aware of their rights. Plano has begun sending out Red Light Camera tickets that are beyond the city's statute of limitation. I received a ticket for a incident that occurred 2.5 years ago.
If you recieve a notice for an incident that happened more than 30 days ago, do not pay it!!! Ask for a hearing.
Sec. 12-262. - Enforcement; procedures.
(a) The department is responsible for the enforcement and administration of this article.
(b) In order to impose a civil penalty under this article, the department or its agent shall mail a notice of violation to the owner of the motor vehicle against whom the city seeks to impose the civil penalty not later than the 30th day after the date the violation is alleged to have occurred to:
(1) The owner's address as shown on the registration records of the Texas Department of Transportation; or
(2) If the vehicle is registered in another state or country, the owner's address as shown on the motor vehicle registration records of the department or agency of the other state or country analogous to the Texas Department of Transportation. "
People need to be aware of their rights. Plano has begun sending out Red Light Camera tickets that are beyond the city's statute of limitation. I received a ticket for a incident that occurred 2.5 years ago.
If you recieve a notice for an incident that happened more than 30 days ago, do not pay it!!! Ask for a hearing.
Sec. 12-262. - Enforcement; procedures.
(a) The department is responsible for the enforcement and administration of this article.
(b) In order to impose a civil penalty under this article, the department or its agent shall mail a notice of violation to the owner of the motor vehicle against whom the city seeks to impose the civil penalty not later than the 30th day after the date the violation is alleged to have occurred to:
(1) The owner's address as shown on the registration records of the Texas Department of Transportation; or
(2) If the vehicle is registered in another state or country, the owner's address as shown on the motor vehicle registration records of the department or agency of the other state or country analogous to the Texas Department of Transportation. "
Carl9133 wrote on Oct 12, 2011 11:58 PM:
" These cams don't stop accidents and has nothing to do with safety! Before to long the city will be talking less about safety and how they can keep their money generating sceem in place. Take it from someone who has spent 2 years fighting these camera companies to have them removed in port lavaca Texas, the city and camera companies are working hand in hand to generate revenue for the already wasteful spending the city has incurred. The petition will get denied and the courts will have to end up settling this case. On another note the city should be sued if they deny the will of the people and place it before the people for a vote! Be ready to fight for a long time they don't give up these money grabs very easily! If you need help there is a lot of people willing to back you in the cause. Go to port Lavaca citizens against red light cameras on FB if you have any questions you need answering...good luck in your fight!!!! "
jcwconsult wrote on Oct 13, 2011 1:30 PM:
" In almost every case, longer yellow intervals would reduce red light violations by MORE than ticket cameras. If safety is the real goal (rare in cities that use cameras) then the answer to greater safety lies in engineering, not ticket cameras. If this does go to a vote, it is virtually certain that the cameras will lose. In 16 previous votes it went against the cameras every time. Then cities have to engineer for safety, not revenue. James C. Walker, National Motorists Association, www.motorists.org, Ann Arbor, MI "
davguard wrote on Oct 14, 2011 1:52 PM:
" A 45% decrease in red light accidents at intersections that have added the cameras is a scam? Really? You are entitled to your opinion, but there is much more research out there supports RLC than opposes them. The research that is cited against them is done by people that have a stated biased against them in the first place. I suppose you would have opposed the use of radar guns when they came out, too. Nobody has a constitutional right to run red lights and put other people in danger. "
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News Update «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
Is Mr Draper going to sponsor an education program to teach people about the dangers of running red lights, or is he just wanting publicity?
I think there should be many more of these systems to catch these idiots who endanger lives every time they do this. "