Smile, You’re On (Traffic) Camera
If you drive in Los Angeles, be ready to have your picture taken. At about 175 intersections (places where two streets cross) in the Los Angeles area, you will find cameras ready to take your picture if you break the law.
The idea behind the traffic cameras, the government says, is to reduce (lower) the number of collisions (when two things, usually cars, hit each other violently) when people run a red light, which is when drivers continue driving after the traffic light has already turned red. When drivers run red lights, they can cause head-on collisions, where the two cars’ front ends hit each other, or one car can side-swipe another, which is when one car hits the side of another car. The rationale (explanation; reasoning) for using these cameras is that they will make driving safer.
However, many unhappy drivers say that the real reason for the cameras is to increase revenue (earnings; money that is received) for the city. A ticket costs about $175 for illegal right turns and about $400 for running a red light. About 80% of the tickets are for illegal right turns. In the U.S., drivers can make legal right turns even when the light is red if no cars are coming IF they first make a full and complete stop. Those who don’t make a complete stop can get a $175 ticket. Some people say that not making a full stop is not really unsafe and allowing tickets for this minor offense (breaking of the law) is just the city’s way of making more money.
I have been very lucky. I haven’t received one of these tickets (yet), but I know someone who did. The camera takes a picture of the car showing the license plate and perhaps of the driver, and a copy of that picture is mailed to the driver with the ticket. It’s a bad day when you get a letter from the city’s traffic division (office; section).
Does your city have special ways to enforce (make sure people follow) traffic laws?
~ Lucy
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:38 am
Here in Shanghai we have similar thing. But the more interesting thing is when I was sitting back in a taxi, quite often I heard voice coming out of special device equipped in the car that warns the drivers that there is such camera in the next intersection. I’m always wondering how this device works (how it knows?)? Where do those drivers buy this special device? Is it legal to buy such device? Is our city’s traffic division aware of this device? Or they are aware but they don’t care as long as you don’t break the traffic law.
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hello, Lucy! My first time here. (forgive my english, I just discovered jeff McQuillan and Doctor Lucy Tse in Beautifull Los Angeles. Love you, guys!)
Well, here in Brasil, people in general don´t concern very much about their own safe in traffic. Is a strange attitude, but happens all the time.
For example, the drivers never stop or reduce their velocity when see someone trying to cross the street. In the other side, people cross the street always out of a place for that. Unbelieveable. Be carefull when you visit São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro (Rio is worse, people there think that everywear is a good place to park their car.)
We have good traffic laws, but for what? Even when was statistic proved that this laws reduced the percentage of dead people by using alcoholic drinks in traffic, people still keep that “strange attitude”. Very sad.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:50 am
In France, we have traffic cameras too, but in most cases, only to control speeding.
Only in some main cities, we can find cameras at the traffic light. It’s also legal to have devices in our car, that informs us about the presence of these cameras.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Here in Spain there are cameras which they are allowed to issue tikets in the highway or motorway, however, that I think there aren’t any into the cities. I don’t know if I’m in the wrong, so I hope that someone compatriot tell us about this.
In the other hand, I live in Valencia, the third city of Spain and I don’t need the car for move by the city because here there is a good comunication with public services, as bus, tranvía (I don’t know how say it in English language but is a small electric train), underground, and taxi. This way I don’t matter if there are cameras or I have a place to parking the car.
In case I need to do a long trip then I use the rent car. Is easy.
Greetings
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
In Brazil we don’t have such cameras in the cities trafic. Only in the highway or motorway. But I think it will be a way to control people who break the law, because the economic penalty is very efective, I think.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Here in Dalian, the most beatiful city of LiaoNing province, China, there are no other better ways to enforce traffic law other than setting up many cameras on the side of the important intersections where most often there would be a traffic jam out there commonly caused by “brave” drivers running red lights. The funny thing is, when I sometimes take a taxi to somewhere and near some intersections, the taxi driver put his head out of the car to see if there is a camera standing behind the stoplight. If it isn’t there, he would run a red light or do something else illegal. And if it is there, he would wait there until the light turns green and continue to go. Unless we’d like to obey the traffic laws from the bottom of our heart, there is not any effective approach to really avoid traffic accidents. Anyway, don’t forget to smile when you’re on camera.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:44 pm
like in france as George said, here in brazil we also have cameras for control speeding. Maybe on the Ari Fernando´s city (also from brazil) haven´t but in my city we have.. and a lot…
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Hi , here in Iran we have cameras for control speed in roads between cities and this days for summer or new year holidays there are more officers to enforce traffic laws too. in cities most of the drivers make illegal right turns but they do not run a red light .
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:41 am
We don’t have those traffic cameras here in the Philippines. Our government cannot afford those sophisticated equipment. However, we do have several traffic aides stationed close to the intersection, who are watchful for every possible traffic violations. But, during late night you cannot see any of them and drivers are free again to commit violations.
It is very common here in our country to run a red light. I wish we also had those cameras installed at our intersections to avoid or lessen traffic accident.
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:56 am
I know there are cameras by the high roads that sorrounded Madrid, and of course along the M-30, M-40, M-50 and so on, but I don’t Know if there are any in the city where I live, Madrid, but it is possible.
These cameras of M-30, M-40 etc., are the most rentable of all Spain I think, because everybody coming from any place of Spain know nothing about them and they are taken “in fraganti” several times.
Since year 1994 I haven’t car, I took it off because it was always in the garage, my daughters were growned up by that time, and I decided to take public transportation as my form of going to every place in Madrid or which ever place or city of Spain.
I think it was one of the best ideas I have ever have, just to be without car till now. I have been very happy without car and never I have missed it.
First car I drove was in the year 1964 a long time ago, and just from them I was always looking to new models and so on. Now I know nothing about cars, I don care any more about them, I am happy.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 am
Like Georges said, cameras in France are installed mostly to control speed.
At the begining, special devices that detected cameras were forbidden because they used frequency bands that entered in conflict with official bands like the police, firemen or even ambulances. However, I know that some of these special devices are legal but I don’t know why. But now, with the GPS system, drivers are able to be warn… and that’s legal.
In France, drivers can lost points on their driving licence. They recover them one or three years later or they can also follow a block release to recover a part of their points. When the capital sum of 12 points is unavailable, the driving licence can be nullify.
Do you know that there are one camera every five kilometres on the Swiss freeways ?
I don’t know if this control system is the best way to give security on the traffic but since few years a number of lives have been saved… and it’s the main objective.
So, be careful
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:23 am
Dear Lucy!
I live in Iran, where everything is possible, here is a place that people have a lot of freedom, you can drive through a one-way street on the opposite, change your way suddenly in intersections, run a redlight (when not crowded) and so on. But you should be carefull to not to get in trouble with a collision because that way you would be charged a lot by the police and the innocent. Police will charge you for the offence and the complainant for the damge to his/her car. The rationale for all the bad things that happen is OUR WEAK LAW. And maybe that’s because they want to increase the city revenue. There are some cameras in some parts of the big sities and that’s exactly like the U.S. because you would receive your ticket and taken picture from the city’s traffic division, but let me say that those cameras just take pictures for high speed driving.
Wish you all the best
Mehdi
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:29 am
Regards elcomadant, Valencia is a very beatiful city. I have been there twice or more times before, but I would like to go again an see “La Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias” and how great the city is now.
Some months ago I sent Jeff some photos of it (La Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias) because Jeff likes very much Arquitecture, I think it should be easy for you to inform he directly about Calatrava’s work over there.
Now for me it is very difficult to go and see it, sure I like to go, but who knows?, may be some year when my wife would be better?.
Best regards again and enjoy your city. emiliano (Madrid)
P.D. Did you told something about Isla de La Palma sometime ago?. I know someone told he likes it a lot, as home, but I don’t remember who? Only I remember he lives in Valencia….may be you?.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:10 am
Hi everybody! This is the first time I write a comment in this blog. However I discovered this awesome webpage the last month and I was amazed! I’ve listened about 20 podcasts (including the English Cafes) and you are really helping me in improve my english even faster. Thank you and congratulations!
Well, I live in the same place that elcomandant, in Valencia, an eastern and mediterranean city of Spain. Lately, the number of control cameras have been increasing; but I think that most of them are located outside the city (motorways and highways) where most of the accidents take place. I haven’t seen any camera in my city, but well, I don’t have the driving card yet so I’m not very aware about it
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 am
Hi all! I’ve just read this blog! It’s very interesting. So I really want to ask that why we have a right turns rule here? Imaging that you are in a hurry and you don’t see anyone in the next intersection, why you waste your time? Why you must stop your car completely if you will not hurt anyone? So you still keep your track and you will receive a bad ticket later. It’s so funny!
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
can I leave message here? just have a try.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Here in Russia we have a lot of accidents and about 30,000 people died every year on the roads.
I think that even this method will be very helpful to decrease the number of people who were killed in car accidents in our country.
Too many drivers breaks speed limit very easily. Too many front collisions with many victims. Of course $175 is a large sum, but if this law has prevented only one death – I think it’s worth it!
September 4th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Hi everyone, I’m from Brazil, more precisely from Sao Paulo city. Here we have a similar system with cameras to catch you when you run a red light. I got caught once when I was driving at dawn and thought that was unsafe to stop at the red light. I tried to contest the fine, but they didn´t accept my claim. I do agree that this system is designed to increase the council revenues with fines. This happened here in my city. Lots of people are fined because they aren´t aware of the system.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Dear Lucy,
Thank you so much for your article about such an interesting topic! As a matter of fact, here in Italy we have a lot of those infernal electronic machines by the name of T-red. I do not know the exact meaning of the word “T-red”… I guess it could be an acronym for Trafficlight-Red. Is there anyone who can help me to find out the origin of that name? Thank you guys form the beautifull Rovigo, Italy!
September 7th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Hi all! I am from the south of Italy where the situation of the traffic, for example in Naples, is very… strange! The revenues increase in many small cities is due to the devices like “Autovelox” and T Light! Less taxes but more tickets for the drivers!