Something of a stretch
Where there are red-light cameras, says Georgia law, there’s supposed to be one extra second of yellow. Much of the time, though, there isn’t, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville) wants to know why:
“Federal guidelines are that minimum yellow light times are three to six seconds,” Loudermilk explained in his weekly column. “The intention of the law is that the minimum time of the yellow light in any intersection with a red light camera should not be less than four seconds… Unfortunately, some cities have refused to comply with state law and have not increased their yellow light times.”
Atlanta, for example, has flat-out refused to alter its yellow times with the majority of monitored intersections having yellow times that last less than 4.0 seconds. Roswell has intersection approaches set at 3.5 seconds, also in defiance of state law. Of the cities that are known to have complied, Duluth, Lilburn, Norcross, Rome, Snellville and Suwanee have dropped or are considering dropping photo enforcement because the yellow time extension immediately cut violations — and revenue — by eighty percent.
Loudermilk wants the General Assembly to convene a panel to investigate this matter, call witnesses, and come up with a legislative solution. Then again, if Atlanta and Roswell can ignore one state law, what’s to stop them from ignoring another one?
John Salmon »
6 April 2009 · 1:16 pm
You can’t tell me this whole thing is about revenue!
McGehee »
6 April 2009 · 4:21 pm
Atlanta has always pretty much assumed the rest of Georgia, and the state government thereof, exist to serve Atlanta’s interests.
Roswell? Well, maybe they’re from a planet where 3.5 seconds is on full second longer than 3.0 seconds.
Jeff Brokaw »
7 April 2009 · 7:46 am
It’s basically a tax on driving at some point. An illegal tax, in this case.
In Illinois we have these in some spots, not sure what the law is, need to check on that. And now some genius wants to implement traffic cameras all over the place to catch speeders.
Using technology to entrap de facto “normal” driving is a little too “1984″-ish for me.
We’re From the Government, and We’re Here to Help You … Er, I Mean, Take Your Money by Force « Psssst! Over Here! »
7 April 2009 · 9:22 am
[...] Dustbury notes some problems with red light cameras in Georgia: Where there are red-light cameras, says Georgia law, there’s supposed to be one extra [...]