Beat those traffic camers

[KevinP73]

[KevinP73]

[911Freak]

Do these things really work? I've seen them advertised along with the spray that whites out your plate to cameras.... for real?

Luckily there aren't many of these where I live, but on business there everywhere!

FWIW~
I've left the dealer plate on my daily driver and I know that has helped me out..
2 years later and they're still on !

[ZOA NOM]

Totally debunked by Mythbusters.

[masraum]

uh, I don't think that either of these options was tested by MythBusters.

The second video isn't a standard blocker plate. I'm about 99% sure that it's an LCD place that goes opaque and black when electricity is applied.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Those are excellent!

Here's one I found on a motorcycle forum (same kind of thing).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hRXB-LzZxU

Shame when people have to resort to these kinds of things just to protect against "revenue enhancement" tactics by government.

Naturally, if you're in the habit of running red lights, you're a fool anyway, but these cameras are there to raise revenue - not increase safety.

[sammyg2]

there's an easier way to do it, stop for red lights.Would you want some red-light running tard with one of those devices approching an intersection when you are going through it on a green light?

[RWebb]

The problem - as claimed - is that when they put in the red light cams, they also reduce the time the yellow is on. I hear that a commercial business sells this as an entire package to cities.

We have a pedestrian and bicycle slaughter going on in my town. I feel I have to support red light cameras -- but I want it done right.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The camera doesn't do a damn thing for safety. If someone is going to stupidly/inattentively run a red light, they're going to do it with or without the cameras there.

As a general rule, if you don't count "one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three" before looking both ways and THEN going when your light turns green, you're begging to get hit anyway (defensive driving 101 here). Not that I'm advocating that people run the red, but the reality is that 99% of the people out there are going to try and "push" a yellow - cameras or not. The state (or more correctly, a private company CONTRACTED by the state) has simply figured out a way to make $$$ off the behavior. It won't change the behavior one damn bit. It's like taxing breathing. People are going to do it anyway.

I hate/distrust those things so much I'll simply sit there if I'm turning on red. If the people behind me honk or get P.O.-ed or whatever, I don't effin' care. I'm not risking a ticket by some automated camera for making a LEGAL right turn on red and having some FOR-PROFIT "reviewer" misinterpret what I was doing.

These things are purely and 100% about revenue.

If they wanted to devise a technological solution to enhance SAFETY, they'd have the lights connected to retractable bollards or gates that physically limit movement in one direction or the other. Yes, these things exist and I'm willing to bet they don't cost appreciably more than the cameras, poles, monitoring equipment, etc. do. The only difference is one makes someone $$$, the other doesn't.

[Jeff Higgins]

Watching the local news the other night, I saw a story about a local town that had just installed the cameras about a month ago. There was a publicity campaign to inform residents of their installation, and a one month grace period to allow folks to get used to the idea. They sent warnings out to violators during that one month.

The town was absolutely overwhelmed by how many warning they were mailing. They could not believe the number of people rountinely running red lights. So they extended both the grace period, and the yellow light duration. So, yeah, it must be all about the money... A city councilman was interviewed for the story; he said (repeatedly) that "it's not about the money. We want safe intersections. We have doubled the grace period, we have extended the yellow light time. We have done everything we can do to get the word out..." Yup; all about the money. In contrast, the citizens on the street interviewed pretty universally said "screw the grace period. Nail 'em if they are gonna run red lights". I pretty much agree.

While I certainly do not like cameras monitoring our behavior in most circumstances, I can see this as the only effective way to deal with one of the most dangerous traffic problems out there today. Folks that run red lights are a hazard to all of us. I would much rather see red light than speed cameras; I thinks it's pretty obvious that folks who routinely run red lights do actually cause accidents. At a far higher rate than speeders.

[Dave L]

NICE! An Ontario plate! We dont have very many traffic camera only a few red light cameras. I would highly suspect this hidden plate trick is to use the 407ETR toll road for free. Its supposedly is the most expensive toll road in the world. $0.19/km plus they also charge you $3.60/trip to take a picture of your plate if you dont have a transponder.

[RoninLB]

a few years ago i read a lawyer's trick to spray your plate with hardware store clear. He said only the high light flash from a strobe will cause a glare for the camera. I tried my camera flash and I could read the plate in the picture. He wrote a ticket book and he lives in Calif. It's available at the Nat'l Motorist Ass site.

I bought the popular anti-camera plate spray last year. Don't know how effective it is.


Some towns report that red light cameras cause rear accidents.

[mossguy]

Ronin - How does a red light camera 'cause accidents'?

Tom

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by mossguy

Ronin - How does a red light camera 'cause accidents?
Tom

To increase revenue, the time of the yellow is shortened. Unless you are already under the light, you have to slam on your brakes to not get a ticket. If the person behind you isn't paying attention or is a little too close...

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by mossguy

Ronin - How does a red light camera 'cause accidents'?

Tom

People nailing the brakes at a yellow to avoid the camera will get rear ended. Seen it happen

edit: ^^ he beat me to it...

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by RWebb

The problem - as claimed - is that when they put in the red light cams, they also reduce the time the yellow is on. I hear that a commercial business sells this as an entire package to cities.

We have a pedestrian and bicycle slaughter going on in my town. I feel I have to support red light cameras -- but I want it done right.

This was proven in Scottsdale Arizona. They cut the "yellow time" by almost half then the money started rolling in. Someone timed it and took them to court, winning loads and getting everyone's tickets reversed and points returned.

Scottsdale just announced that they have made a profit of $2 million bux off of the cameras in the last couple of years.

[gprsh924]

Originally Posted by WolfeMacleod

People nailing the brakes at a yellow to avoid the camera will get rear ended. Seen it happen

edit: ^^ he beat me to it...

Technically that means that they were following too closely

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by RWebb

The problem - as claimed - is that when they put in the red light cams, they also reduce the time the yellow is on. I hear that a commercial business sells this as an entire package to cities.

We have a pedestrian and bicycle slaughter going on in my town. I feel I have to support red light cameras -- but I want it done right.

Yes, they did do that here in the Ghetto. But, someone caught on after being ticketed, took the thing to court and 100's of tickets were erased and fines refunded as a result. You won't find this on Google, they hushed it up pretty good.

Not only that, the cameras were off for 6 months because of a minor dispute with the contracted company. We as drivers never knew until finally someone caught on to that as well.

Don't get pulled over with one of those blocker gizmos whether they work or not. It will cost you a little more that a fix-it ticket. It's cheaper to not have a plate at all.

[mossguy]

In my town, Lakewood, WA, the yellow light interval was actually increased to help prevent rear-end collisions by those inattentive, and following-too-closely folks. In order to get a ticket, you have to enter the intersection after the light turns red. If the light turns red after the intersection is entered, no picture, no fine.

Tom

[red-beard]

I actually see the timer lights popping up, which tell you how long until it changes. If you know it is close, you won't go for it.