I just recently rean a Letter to the Editor (Oak Ridger or Observer) where one of our brilliant Oak Ridger did calculations on vehicle speed, human reaction time, stopping distance, etc. His calculations were for Lovell Road and I-40 where he received a mailed fine. I had the same experience- checking to see if I could stop safely. I didn’t see the fine, but the camera caught me.

For the Turnpike and Illinois Avenues, the traffic currently on those roads, especially 3 PM-6 PM and 5:30 AM to 9:00 Am, would create havoc. Most of those vehicles are in a hurry to get through Oak Ridge to a job.

I have traveled those streets for years and as I became aware of the various driving habits, I stop or speed. It depends on my reaction or time to react depending on what the car behind me is doing (speed, cell phone, fixing hair) and the possible cars approaching to my left, right, or turing in front of me. The option I have preffered is to use Tennessee Ave and Robertsville Road to bypass the Turnpike. If Oak Ridgers did this then we would have similar traffic light problems there. but then.

Regardless of the source of any organization’s estimates or values or formula, any calculations need to adress the reality of the traffic conditions at the traffic lights on those streets.
A primary consideration also needs to be the legality. Camera use is in the courts in a number of states and my guess is that a smart lawyer some where is going to get caught by the camera and successfuly challenge it.

Whatever you decide, just make sure it’s the right thing for all Oak Ridgers.

There aren’t any traffic lights in Iraq, just traffic roundabouts.

Jerry Kuhaida

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/03/speeding_ticket.html

The second is from Techdirt:

http://techdirt.com/articles/20080410/011257809.shtml

Thanks again for your thoughtful and careful input to the running of our city.

Tom

I am leaning to the Knoxville case that these cameras are violating constitutional rights. Further I can see that safety in a city can be bought by individual citizens. If you have the money go ahead an run it, nothing else will happen after the fine.

I’ve sat at red lights late in the evening, often wondering if the light would change. If I run it and the only thing there to catch me is a camera, is that breaking the law? No one else was there, just me and the red light.