[Mpls] Red Light Cameras CAUSE Injuries

[Michael Atherton]

John Harris wrote:

>  why wouldn't a public awareness campaign work for side 
>  impact collisions?

Because you are more likely to alter behavior when there
is accountability, i.e., a ticket.  The idea for a public
awareness campaign for cameras is because behavior is unlikely
to change if people don't know that they might be held
accountable.  And, I admit, you have to change the cultural
driving habits of people.  I remember having to adjust
to people stopping early for yellows in Pullman, WA.  I was 
use to people in L.A. stopping for reds, but not early for 
yellows.
 
>  I have commuted for work for 10 years, most to downtown mpls 
>  from st paul, eagan, river falls and north mpls.  recently 
>  from north mpls to eden prairie and st paul.  it has been 
>  extremely rare that i have seen any one blow through
>  a red light while it was clearly red and had been for a 
>  significant amount of time.  what i have witnessed is the 1 
>  or 2 cars that go through as the light turns red and the 
>  opposing light just turns green.  in many of those cases when
>  i am first at the intersection, i have just got off the 
>  brake by the time the offender has gone through.  now cameras 
>  will catch these people but besides being a nuisance, i haven't 
>  witnessed a situation where they are dangerous.  I
>  know it can be but i have driven a lot of miles and i just 
>  don't have the personal experience to claim that it is a problem of 
>  epidemic proportions. perhaps i am lucky, but i am skeptical of luck.  
>  when a light turns green it is 50/50 that a car will be entering or 
>  in the intersection from cross traffic. it is a nuisance for sure, 
>  but dangerous?  now blowing a red light due to talking on the cell 
>  phone or reading email from your pda, now that is a problem
>  and cameras will not take care of that.

Boy, I disagree with so much of this.  First, if you haven't
observed people frequently running reds I think you're lucky
(or maybe you don't spend as much time driving in Minneapolis as
the rest of us).  I see it everyday.  Sometimes it's even busses.
Often when I'm pushing the yellow, I can look in my rearview
mirror and see one or two cars coming through the red after me
(this happened yesterday). The definition of running a red light 
is simple, a vehicle enters the intersection when the light is red.  
If you enter when the light is still yellow you have not violated 
the law.  I don't understand how you come up with this 50%
probability of a car will be entering or in the intersection from 
cross traffic.  Depending on the timing the probability is either
much lower or much higher.  If it was 50% at the time the light
changes, then our accident rate would be astronomical.  I think 
that your subjective lucky experience of failing to notice violations 
is not a good measure of risk.  I've never been mugged, but I think 
that it has more to do with its statistical infrequence than whether 
I'm a tough guy or not.  I know plenty of tough guys who've been 
robbed and I know plenty of good drivers who've been in auto accidents.

Michael Atherton
Prospect Park