polarized license plate covers

And now is a good time to move on.

When one of your loved ones gets t-boned by a driver running the red lights, then you'll understand why it is that these cameras are out there and why you need to slow down and not run them. I sure would not want to be one of the first responders to have to pry a dead body out of a mangled car.

Red lights get ran far too often and there is simply no excuse for it. I've seen the results and it isn't pretty. If you're looking for a way circumvent the cameras then I have no sympathy for you. Just slow down and watch what you are doing. It's as simple as that.

Funny, I have never got a ticket from one of these...

magnusfide wrote:
Best practice: Before reaching an intersection always slow down ahead of time. Increase that time when hauling or driving an RV because they take longer to stop. That's why intersections are indicated on road signage before you reach the intersection. All driving instruction manuals tell you to slow down when approaching an intersection.

Something to think about: I have no interest in beating a yellow nor red light. I come to a full stop at stop signs. Over the years I have seen too many people get slammed, even killed because they did not follow good driving practice at intersections.

Exactly!

bmet2000 wrote:
Those that say don't beat them, must not know the physics behind the red light cameras. Especially the ones on a left turn lane. When they install the cameras and shorten the yellow light time, you can't stop in time.
http://redlightrobber.com/red/scam.html

It was my understanding that there is a minimum yellow light duration spec'd by the Feds.
Have not looked it up, but I recall it is something like 1 second per 10mph of the speed limit.
Several jurisdictions have been forced to refund fines when it was proved the yellow time was below standard.

Having a few years experience working in the traffic signal field and being an expert witness regarding the in field operation of traffic signals, I feel that I am qualified to make a few observations. First in the State of California there is a law that says, "legally enter, legally exit". The definition if legally entering means entering the intersection on a green or yellow light. At least in CA this has been challenged by governing bodies setting the timing less than the national standard and the courts always rule in favor of the driver. The yellow light of a traffic signal has no legal definition other that it is a warning that the traffic signal will be changing. The national standard to determine the duration of the yellow light, it is based on the average speed traveled on a street and the width of the street being crossed. The reaction time of the driver is factored in to the equation.

Some red light COMPANIES have written into their contracts, their right to determine signal timing. This in my opinion is to allow them to set the timing to catch more violations or as we called it in court, CREATE more violations and thereby justify their extremely high cost of operating the red light cameras.

The national standards for installation and timing of traffic signal is like the Uniform Building Code or NEC or any other INSURANCE backed code intended to extend their safety concerns in to the area of profit. More restrictive the codes, the lower their payouts.

That is the big and to me compelling part, drive reasonably and defensively and save yourself money as well as your insurance company.

Being in an intersection when the light is red is not necessarily a violation. It's what the light is when entering the intersection. If its yellow when entering and it turns red while crossing the intersection, there is no violation. Many people think otherwise, including some ill-trained or inexperienced LEO's. Sometimes it takes a prosecutor or judge to explain the law to them. The Uniform Traffic Manual recommends a standard yellow-to-red duration of 2 seconds, with another 2 seconds all-red to allow the clearing of the intersection. This is often disregarded however.

GordonThree wrote:
Simple solution, just cover everything with mud in the summer and snow in the winter. Both are pretty common around here, and there's no way an intersection or radar camera is going to get through. Plus if stopped, you have a strong case for plausible deniability.

Another solution, one of those hitch mounted storage chests ... plenty of tourist yahoos driving around here with their tags obscured by a huge box hanging off the bumper.

or....just stop at the red light. seems less stressful.

I'm sure someone here will be able to do the math on this one, your 40 feet from the intersection, and moving at 40MPH, it might take you 1 second of reaction time as you see the light turn yellow, now what, do you slam on your breaks after that 1 second delay and now your even closer to the intersection, and you find yourself stopped half way out in the middle of the intersection, and now everyone that has the green light wants to move, but your blocking the intersection, and their honking their horns at you as you walk back to try and get every one behind you to back up, or you drive through the intersection on a yellow light ? again I'm not saying blow through the red lights

I agree with the concept of slowing down and planning ahead, great way to avoid tickets. Obscuring your plate with mud, snow, reflective materials, tote boxes, whatever will net a ticket as will the biker's trick of bending the plate up.

easycamper wrote:

bmet2000 wrote:
Those that say don't beat them, must not know the physics behind the red light cameras. Especially the ones on a left turn lane. When they install the cameras and shorten the yellow light time, you can't stop in time.
http://redlightrobber.com/red/scam.html

That web page doesn't seem like it was written by a very emotionally balanced person.

"Traffic engineers systematically misapply a physics formula to yellow light durations. Engineers' ignorance of what the formula means and their misapplication of the formula yield practices that violate physical laws of Nature. The specific law they violate is the equation of motion "a = dv/dt." The violation, "2a = dv/dt", forces all drivers to habitually run red lights."

Huh? Traffic engineers don't understand basic kinematics? Habitual speeding by drivers may make it difficult for them to stop in time, but that's not the traffic engineer's fault.

I have to agree. There is no conspiracy to generate revenue, and yellow lights aren't getting shorter at intersections with cameras.

There are certain folks who, for better or worse, have been driving for so long that they've manufactured their own "rules of the road" to replace the ones taught in Driver's Ed class. "Beating" a red light camera is easy... don't exceed the posted speed limit. Don't enter the intersection on a yellow light. Don't push your luck trying to be the last guy through the turn arrow. Obey the law. It's there to ensure your safety, and the safety of the other human beings on the road with you.

The concept reminds me of the radar detectors . I feel the same about those in that if one simply obeys the law there are no problems for anyone. Friend simply stop of the light is red. Be safe for the safety of all.