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The number of license plate cameras in Yonkers is growing. A few acquaintances have showed me a speeding ticket for 28 in a 25 mph posted speed limit. 3 mph? Re

by eggy 3y ago

The number of license plate cameras in Yonkers is growing. A few acquaintances have showed me a speeding ticket for 28 in a 25 mph posted speed limit. 3 mph? Really. You could argue error on the equipment, last calibration, etc...but who has the time. This is a way to fill the city coffers. This article was interesting too from one of, "The Wire" creators: https://www.silive.com/news/2023/08/wire-creator-david-simon-learns-that-nyc-speed-cameras-are-a-con-meant-to-separate-drivers-from-their-money-opinion.html https://www.silive.com/news/2023/08/wire-creator-david-simon...

lxgr 3y ago
> A few acquaintances have showed me a speeding ticket for 28 in a 25 mph posted speed limit. 3 mph? How else are speeding cameras supposed to work? They already include some tolerance for imprecise sensors, as does every car's tachymeter. For every finite actually-enforced speed limit, there's always going to be some discrete value limit for "too fast", and always somebody upset with getting a ticket for being just ever so slightly above that limit.
tstrimple 3y ago
Automated speeding camera tickets in my state are unenforceable civil fines. Folks in the know just ignore them. It's a tax on suckers driving through the area mostly. There was a whole kerfuffle around the cameras being illegal because they violate the laws on distance notifications required of speed limit changes before sampling the speed, but the city didn't care about that and forced it through pretty quickly regardless. It's clear that these are revenue seeking mechanisms completely detached from road safety.
- JambalayaJim 3y ago
  Even if the speed cameras don’t have any impact on safety, it’s still a net positive for people living there? Your city government gets a bit more funding. Avoidance of the fine is very easy - just stick to the speed limit. It’s especially nice for people who don’t drive. But the impact of speed cameras is well understood - it does lead to people slowing down. And it turns out speed is incredibly important, even small differences in speed, in the outcome of a car crash.
  - tstrimple 3y ago
    The biggest issue I see in that case is one of perverse incentives. It's not unheard of for municipalities to combine automated speed cameras with a reduction in yellow light time which does increase the number of accidents in exchange for additional fine revenue for the city. I'm very wary of supporting systems which reward bad behavior so directly from those leading the program. https://ww2.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-shortening-yellow-light-times-for-profit/ https://ww2.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-sho...

by eggy 3y ago

lxgr 3y ago

> A few acquaintances have showed me a speeding ticket for 28 in a 25 mph posted speed limit. 3 mph? How else are speeding cameras supposed to work? They already include some tolerance for imprecise sensors, as does every car's tachymeter. For every finite actually-enforced speed limit, there's always going to be some discrete value limit for "too fast", and always somebody upset with getting a ticket for being just ever so slightly above that limit.

tstrimple 3y ago

Automated speeding camera tickets in my state are unenforceable civil fines. Folks in the know just ignore them. It's a tax on suckers driving through the area mostly. There was a whole kerfuffle around the cameras being illegal because they violate the laws on distance notifications required of speed limit changes before sampling the speed, but the city didn't care about that and forced it through pretty quickly regardless. It's clear that these are revenue seeking mechanisms completely detached from road safety.

JambalayaJim 3y ago
Even if the speed cameras don’t have any impact on safety, it’s still a net positive for people living there? Your city government gets a bit more funding. Avoidance of the fine is very easy - just stick to the speed limit. It’s especially nice for people who don’t drive. But the impact of speed cameras is well understood - it does lead to people slowing down. And it turns out speed is incredibly important, even small differences in speed, in the outcome of a car crash.
- tstrimple 3y ago
  The biggest issue I see in that case is one of perverse incentives. It's not unheard of for municipalities to combine automated speed cameras with a reduction in yellow light time which does increase the number of accidents in exchange for additional fine revenue for the city. I'm very wary of supporting systems which reward bad behavior so directly from those leading the program. https://ww2.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-shortening-yellow-light-times-for-profit/ https://ww2.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-sho...