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Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

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  • Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

    Your Legislature is planning a 3-year pilot project to install overhead cameras at strategic intersections to photograph the license plates of cars that go through red lights.

    While it would cut down on the number of scofflaws who are in a hurry to go nowhere, there is one potential downside:

    These cameras are at almost all intersections in Scottsdale, AZ. Apparently, one man, in a hurry to go nowhere, sped through a red light and his license plate and the faces of the occupants of the car were taken automatically. The guy thought the ticket he would receive was just a nuisance and that he would pay it as soon as it arrived at his mailbox. Unfortunately for him, his wife got to the mail before he did, and included with the traffic citation was the picture of the car's occupants, and the woman sitting next to him in that car was NOT his wife. I think the story ended with him being in divorce court shortly thereafter.

    So the moral of this sordid tale is, when they install those cameras, make sure you can explain to your spouse who the person sitting next to you in the car is.

    Miulang

    http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/ar.../ln/ln01p.html
    Last edited by Miulang; January 21, 2005, 07:26 AM.
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

  • #2
    Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

    Miulang, even if I don't go anywhere fast or in a hurry...any pics of me driving would be MAMA and me!heheheh Then again, I know of plenty of people who are skirmming this morning if they go ahead and set up cameras!yep, a lot of NAUGHTY PEOPLE!
    Be AKAMAI ~ KOKUA Hawai`i!
    Philippians 4:13 --- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

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    • #3
      Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

      I think the infrastructure and much of the policy groundwork for these things is already in place, as they were part of the larger enforcement plan that included the much maligned (but liked by me, and pretty much no one else) "van cam" program.

      Running red lights didn't seem to be a problem in Honolulu not too long ago, but it's something that's almost an epidemic today. Folks are so desperate to save that six minute wait at a big intersection that they'll sail right through.

      Left turners in particular are prone to this... just the other day on Nimitz, seven cars made the long turn after their light had turned red and the oncoming traffic's light had turned green. All they need is one semi driver to be a little distracted, and they'll be in a world of hurt.

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      • #4
        Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

        We have these cameras at intersections on our main road here in my town. Running red lights is so common here in my town. I'm all for these cameras!
        Lovena

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        • #5
          Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

          Originally posted by EastCoastTropics
          We have these cameras at intersections on our main road here in my town. Running red lights is so common here in my town. I'm all for these cameras!
          Eh Lovena: Where you stay, gotta have dakine because da drivers ova dere in Mass. all lolo! I hope dey all stay insai today while da snow is falling...

          Miulang
          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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          • #6
            Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

            I've not had to live in a place with intersection cameras, but my boyfriend raised an interesting point. For those who are afraid of getting "caught" by the camera, are there going to be more people slamming on their brakes the minute the light turns yellow, even though they could safely make it through? This could lead to accidents too for the people following behind, plus it limits even more the number of cars getting through a light, which CAN be a problem during high traffic times...

            To those living in places with intersection cams--have you seen this?

            Just curious...I'm all for these cameras if they catch people who impede the interesection so that opposing traffic can't move when the light changes. (Especially at the intersection of McCully and Kalakaua on Oahu!!!) I'm not so sure how I feel about it being used for catching red-light runners, though.

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            • #7
              Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

              Originally posted by AbsolutChaos
              Just curious...I'm all for these cameras if they catch people who impede the interesection so that opposing traffic can't move when the light changes. (Especially at the intersection of McCully and Kalakaua on Oahu!!!) I'm not so sure how I feel about it being used for catching red-light runners, though.
              People will eventually learn to slow down at an intersection, even with a green light in their favor and actually come to a halt while the light is yellow. People also eventually learn to avoid left hand turn lights if the intersection is crowded all the time.

              One solution to the too many cars being left stranded in the left hand turn lane is to have your Traffic Dept. allow more cars through before it turns red. I'm sure they're monitoring things like that all the time. During periods of slow traffic, the Traffic Dept up here turns most of the signals on automatic sensing, so it doesn't really hold you up to be caught at a red light. During peak commute times, they regulate the signals in favor of traffic going on the major arterials.

              Miulang
              "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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              • #8
                Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

                Eh Miulang, how come you post local news when us local people no even know about them?
                How'd I get so white and nerdy?

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                • #9
                  Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

                  Originally posted by adri1456
                  Eh Miulang, how come you post local news when us local people no even know about them?
                  Because I read the electronic versions of the Advertiser, StarBulletin, Maui News, the Hawaii Channel and sometimes the Garden Isle News every day, that's how I know about stuff in Hawai'i!

                  Miulang
                  "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                  • #10
                    Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

                    Originally posted by AbsolutChaos
                    For those who are afraid of getting "caught" by the camera, are there going to be more people slamming on their brakes the minute the light turns yellow, even though they could safely make it through? This could lead to accidents too for the people following behind, plus it limits even more the number of cars getting through a light, which CAN be a problem during high traffic times...
                    What's wrong with limiting the number of cars getting through a light? Breaking traffic up into "platoons" (civil engineers go bananas over this stuff) is one way to keep it flowing. This is why "ramp metering" is also a common practice in keeping interstate traffic flowing. The only problem with "ramp metering" in Hawaii is that our badly placed ramps would cause major traffic backups into residential areas like Makiki.

                    As for brake-slamming, rear-ending accidents, I wouldn't think they would be a problem, except for people who tailgate too close anyway. Frankly, there's a reason nearly every rear-end fender-bender is automatically the following person's fault: you should always leave enough room between you and the car ahead specifically to allow for a brake-slamming!

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                    • #11
                      Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

                      When they first installed meters on all the on-ramps to the freeways in town, I was skeptical that they would work, and like Ryan, I worried that they would cause extremely large backups. However, one thing drivers quickly learn is if they carpool (2 or more people in a car), they can get in the diamond lane and not have to wait! Even if you're the only occupant of a vehicle, if the Traffic Dept. is doing its job, you won't have to wait very long. You just have to be akamai about blending into the stream of traffic if it's particularly heavy. And people in the stream of traffic have to be aware that somebody coming down an on-ramp might have to try to merge into their lane and they need to slow down accordingly.

                      Miulang
                      "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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                      • #12
                        Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

                        Originally posted by pzarquon
                        What's wrong with limiting the number of cars getting through a light? Breaking traffic up into "platoons" (civil engineers go bananas over this stuff) is one way to keep it flowing. This is why "ramp metering" is also a common practice in keeping interstate traffic flowing. The only problem with "ramp metering" in Hawaii is that our badly placed ramps would cause major traffic backups into residential areas like Makiki.

                        As for brake-slamming, rear-ending accidents, I wouldn't think they would be a problem, except for people who tailgate too close anyway. Frankly, there's a reason nearly every rear-end fender-bender is automatically the following person's fault: you should always leave enough room between you and the car ahead specifically to allow for a brake-slamming!

                        I freely admit that I know nothing of traffic management, other than my experiences as a frustrated driver, so I am sure that the “science” behind trying to control traffic flow makes things better than they could be. I’m adopting a “wait and see” attitude toward the new traffic cams, especially since I’ve not yet experienced them before.

                        My concern more is for those who block intersections during a light, setting off a chain reaction of intersection blockers as people grow frustrated at having to sit through four or five lights without moving (which obviously wouldn't happen if people would stop when they are supposed to in the first place). I’d rather catch those people.

                        I wonder if having yellow lights that count backward similar to the new pedestrian walk lights would help people judge better if they can make it through a light (like the ones in Turkey)? Some yellow lights change more quickly than others (for ex the ones in Downtown Honolulu during daytime hours), but especially for drivers unfamiliar with the roads, having a countdown might help them figure out when to stop more easily.

                        Shoulda, coulda, woulda…as a cynic I know that theories don’t work in reality because nobody behaves ideally. I WISH people wouldn’t follow so closely, but all the wishing in the world won’t prevent those accidents from aggressive road rage drivers and cell phone talkers, which then ties up traffic even more for all of us. The day cars have proper following distance between them is the day the actual act of driving is taken out of the hands of human drivers and put into the circuits of computers. Then I don’t think we’d have as many traffic jams either. That takes care of the worries with elderly drivers and inexperienced/foreign drivers too—bring on the cars that drive themselves! I can't wait...

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                        • #13
                          Re: Stop Light Cameras coming to Hawai'i

                          Up here, pretty soon the State is going to impose fines for people caught talking on cell phones while they are behind the wheel. We already have fines for "aggressive driving" on the freeway; we have state patrol cars that are unmarked just cruising along minding their own business, but as soon as they see acts of aggressive driving (cutting people off, driving across multiple lanes without signalling, etc), the drivers get pulled over and are issued a ticket for aggressive driving. You can never tell if it's a patrol car or not; they have unmarked SUVs as well as sedans cruising the freeways.

                          Eventually if they get punished enough, most people DO learn.

                          Miulang
                          "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

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