I agree on the yellow light thing. That's completely wrong, and cities shortening yellow times to get more people to run them, is plain wrong.TexasGal wrote:Another problem was setting the system to ticket anyone making a right turn on red if the front of their bumper did not first come to a complete 2 second stop behind the white line before proceeding. Many people do not know that and will stop a little over the line or not stop long enough. They make perfectly safe right turns, but get a ticket anyway. These cases were part of a news investigation here that brought this problem to public attention and the cities seemed to have backed off on setting the cameras this way.
Conventional methods of Yellow timing is Minimum 3 seconds, or Speed limit/10. Whichever is higher.
Only 3 seconds is required by law (Look up Texas MUTCD), regardless of speed limit, however, the Limit/10 is a general 'safe' consensus.
However, on the above stop line issue, not everyone is clear on it.
By law, there are 4 locations, in order, that you must stop by:
-First is the Stop line. If there is a Stop line on the pavement, that is where you must come to a complete stop, Before going over it.
Not your Wheels either, but any part of your vehicle (LOTS of people are generally confused by this. They think as long as their TIRES are behind it, they're good. Not true.
If you cross it without stopping, even stopping just past it, you have technically 'blown the sign/light'. Doesn't matter if the stop sign or light is 30 feet or more in front of the line.
(Think Train Crossings, where the line is behind the tracks, on the other side from the intersection)
If there is no stop line, you then proceed to the next.
-Second and Third are a 'Whichever is furthest back'. That being the Actual Stop Sign itself, or the rear line of a pedestrian crossing. If you cross either of these without stopping, you have technically also 'blown the sign/light.
-If none of the above exist (ala, a signal with no marked ped crossing), then you must stop before any part of your vehicle crosses the 'curb line' of the intersecting road.
What you are supposed to do, is stop at the above, no matter what, completely. Then, if you are making a right on red, you are permitted to slowly move forward, to get a better view of oncoming traffic if you need it, and then turn when safe. Nowhere does it say a '2 second stop', and I'm sure you could argue that in court, but you must stop 'completely' before the line. If you're still rolling, no matter how slowly, you are not stopped 'completely'.
(A physics master could probably make compelling evidence that is it indeed, impossible to stop 'completely', due to the fact that all motion is relative.. but that's an argument for another day)
I am not a lawyer, and I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn last night, But I am a Traffic Signal Technician, and work on them, and with the police that stop people at them, daily.
BTW, It's absolutely HILARIOUS to see the police ticket/yell at/berate idiot drivers when you're working on a signal (Like when its turned off and 'dark' as we call it, and by law, a 4-way stop (AMAZING how many people don't know this, and just blow through them)), and they need to be there to direct traffic. Highlight of my day.