I’m the last person to be a conspiracy-mongerer. Well, unless you count my sarcastic conspiracies, but this one is far from sarcastic, I tell you.
On all lights where they put cameras, they decrease the time of the yellow light. They put a camera up, and make the yellow light shorter, so the city can make more money. It’s true! I’m sure of it! Don’t even bother trying to run the yellow light. You won’t make it.
And so, the camera intersections are more dangerous because of this.
That leaves two things to do. One: Get the crash statistics on intersections with cameras versus intersections without cameras. Two: Time the yellow lights. I wonder if there’s a law about how long they’re supposed to be. If they aren’t as long as they’re supposed to be, can the city be sued?
I’m fairly certain the specified minimum amount of time for a yellow light (in seconds) is ten percent of the posted speed. 3 seconds for 30 mph zone, 4.5 for 45, etc… What I’d really like to know is whether those cameras constantly survey the intersections or only take a snapshot when sensors pick up an illegally moving vehicle. If they’re the former of the two, I’d say that’s where the real conspiracy starts.