speeding tickets
Camera Detection
Everywhere you go today the presence of cameras are quite noticeable. The red-light cameras are being used in every state and when you do not stop as you are supposed to, you just might receive a ticket. For your failure to stop for the red light a ticket may be sent and even a speeding ticket may be issued if you sped up to get through the light faster.
The camera programs are catching people, some of whom are not even aware they are being watched. Within the first two months of a program in Arizona to ticket speeders using a camera on the freeways there were 40,000 speeders photographed. With speed being one of the major causes of accidents that end in very serious injury and death, the crackdown on speeding is being intensified.
Many other places are using cameras to catch speeders as well. The UK is one that has implemented this plan. However, in the UK and France as well penalty points are assessed to the driver who cannot accumulate to many or risk losing their driving license. The tickets also cause insurance rates to increase. In the UK the cameras are only allowed to be installed where there have been four serious collisions in last three years. Also at least 20% of the drivers must be driving faster than the speed limit.
This is in addition to the cost of the ticket which depending upon the rate of speed being travelled can sometimes be as high as $200 or more. A scale is normally used and the number of miles over the speed limit is what determines the amount to be paid for the speeding ticket.
With the addition of cameras in so many places today, there is a pretty good chance you will be the recipient of one of these speeding tickets. Although there are advocates for both sides of the debate on whether cameras should be allowed to be installed on traffic signals, the cameras are still being installed. Look at the following list of pros and cons for the speeding cameras and figure out which side you are on.
Pros
* Speeding does reduce the reaction time of the driver.
* Speeding is a cause of loss of control of your vehicle.
* The speeder who does not want to slow down even after being ticketed several times may have their driving privilege revoked thus making the roads safer.
* Areas using the speeding cameras have seen a reduction in the number of highway deaths.
* The cameras are set to only record drivers whose speed is 10% to 20% over the legal limit.
Cons
* It is believed that the differences the cameras make in getting people to slow down will not do any good on roads where the speed is already high enough that most accidents will be either very serious or fatal.
* Different situations are not taken into consideration such as if the road conditions warrant a mere five mile over a 50 mph speed limit would not be considered dangerous.
* During times of heavy rain and fog the safest speed limit to prevent accidents is under the legal limit.
* Emergency vehicles often run red lights yet the existence of a real emergency is not known for sure. What if they just want ahead of the traffic? They are also caught on camera but how many emergency vehicles pay a speeding ticket?
* Speed cameras, like anything else is subject to failure or mistakes. The driver who is unfairly caught on the camera will still have to pay for an appeal if they want to challenge the speeding ticket.
Speed cameras which are also known by the name photo radar were originally used in Germany during the 1980s. Though they are now standard in many places throughout Australia and Europe. North America has them as well although there are states in the U.S. that do not use them. France has begun using them recently.
There is a great displeasure with the cameras among many drivers. This may be because they do not trust them or are angered over getting large speeding tickets over what they do not consider major enough to warrant the tickets. In some places speed cameras are disappearing or being destroyed. With the pros and cons that can be cited, still the true function of the cameras is one that should not be up for debate.
