At 05:20 AM 6/15/2004, Russell McMahon wrote: >I often hear people waxing lyrical over the inequity of speed cameras, red >light cameras, traffic radar and traffic police in general. I do *not* like or approve of either red-light cameras or photo-radar. What I'd much rather see is offenders pulled over and ticketed on the spot. This has several direct benefits: 1) Repeat offenders begin to acquire a deep-down understanding that if you violate traffic laws, you have to pay. You commit a violation - you know you committed it, you get caught, you get lectured, you get ticketed. Much more effective than simply receiving a ticket in the mail several weeks after the fact. 2) Repeat offenders who get ticked by police officers get to pay substantially more insurance. This does not happen with either photo-radar or red light tickets because the registered owner of the vehicle is not necessarily the driver at the time of the offence. 3) Repeat offenders who acquire too many offence points lose their driving license. Same as (2) above - no such penalty with either photo-radar or red light cameras. None of the above benefits occur (at least in Alberta, Canada) with either red-light cameras or photo-radar. As one person who habitually runs red lights puts it: the red light ticket is just part of the cost of doing business. Quite frankly, that is the type of person who I'd like to see removed from traffic. One other interesting item: there recently was some controversy over the fact that some 10 million dollars was going to be paid over a three year period to some Texas firm as commissions or license fees for the photo-radar and red light camera installations. Why the hell isn't that money being kept in the city to pay for more police officers who's sole duty is to catch and ticket traffic offenders? 3 million dollars per year pays for at least 30 extra police officers. I'm quite sure they can bring in ticket revenue exceeding their cost. And if they do in fact manage to get the habitual offenders to either mend their ways or lose their driving privileges, all the better. Finally: photo-radar and red-light cameras are perceived by the public at large as a "cash cow" or revenue source rather than educational. That is most definitely not the case when a police officer taps on your window and asks you if you know why you were pulled over and stopped. The little 3 minute lecture you get before getting your ticket does make a lasting impression. It did for me and for everyone else that I've asked. dwayne -- Dwayne Reid Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax Celebrating 20 years of Engineering Innovation (1984 - 2004) .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .-. .- `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' `-' Do NOT send unsolicited commercial email to this email address. This message neither grants consent to receive unsolicited commercial email nor is intended to solicit commercial email. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads