Time will tell.
At the moment, I'm not a fan of them, but I'm waiting for the crash stats before making a final determination.
"If" they really do reduce crashes, then I can live with them.
Turn the traffic LEO's loose on some pro-active criminal actuvity suppression
If not, or worse yet, "other" crashes take thier place, then they go away.
I am not at all happy with the fact that we give 1/2 of the $$ or more to a private agency
yet still have to have a sworn LEO review them
ATS technicians and police review footage, but police decide whether a ticket is warranted.
Again, if they don't do what they say they do, then they're nothing more than a revenue generator for the agencies.
If you really want to know what your local government is really thinking when they install camera systems, take a look at this:
(*hint-it has nothing to do with your safety
*)
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/201...ssue-citations
Quote:
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City commissioners are disturbed that the cameras have not lived up to expectations and are proving to be a time-consuming burden to the Police Department
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http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar...ac/news-metro/
Quote:
But officials believe the cameras are saving lives – and also making money.
The fine for blowing a red light is $100. From October to January, Temple Terrace issued 9,339 tickets based on photographic evidence at the two intersections – or nearly $1 million worth of tickets
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Where does the money go:
http://www.hardeeclerk.com/index.cfm?LS=38
Quote:
I ran a stop sign the other day and went to pay the ticket at the Clerk's office. I was curious about where traffic ticket money ends up.
A: The money from traffic infractions is used in a variety of ways. The majority of the dollars and cents stay in the city or county where the ticket is written. The rest of the fine money is distributed to the state for general revenue and a variety of state trust funds and programs, such as: Emergency Medical Services, Brain and Spinal Cord Rehabilitation, Florida Endowment, Child Welfare Training, Juvenile Justice, foster care citizen review panels, Nongame Wildlife studies and state criminal justice programs. The Clerk of Court only retains a half of one percent. The percentage of money received from traffic tickets to be applied to each of the various funds is established by the Legislature, and it is the statutory responsibility of the Clerk of Court to see that the monies are properly distributed.
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I used to have the breakdown for ticket fines around somewhere.
When I get back from dinner, I'll try to find them.