Speed Traps

[PappaGun]

I thought this was an interesting article.

Three of the top ten cities for speed traps are in Texas.

The comments about how Texas sets its speed limits is insightful.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_c ... peed-traps" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[G.A. Heath]

WooHooo!!!!!! we got first place, and second too. It looks like Dallas needs to step it up at more than football...

[WildBill]

WooHooo!!!!!! we got first place, and second too. It looks like Dallas needs to step it up at more than football...

That must mean we have the top two safest cities to drive in.

[tacticool]

WooHooo!!!!!! we got first place, and second too. It looks like Dallas needs to step it up at more than football...

That must mean we have the top two safest cities to drive in.

Or the two with the fewest budget shortfalls.

[Charles L. Cotton]

We need to change state law so that every penny of traffic fines goes to the State of Texas. It should also set a benchmark for the percentage of drivers expected to exceed the speed limit and if a city has a percentage higher than the benchmark, it should lose State funding for projects.

Cities set speed limits with an eye toward generating revenue and safety has nothing to do with it. If the money goes to the State, the incentive to set unnecessarily and unreasonably low speed limits will be diminished. Couple the loss of ticket revenue with a loss of state funding for city projects if the percentage of traffic violations are over the benchmark, and you can bet city leaders will follow appropriate standards for setting speed limits.

When the City of Houston adopted red light cameras, Ch. 11 TV interviewed a university professor about a traffic study that proved intersection crashes could be reduced by huge percentages simply by extending the length of the yellow light by 1 to 2 seconds. (I think it was Texas A&M, but I'm not sure.) This study was presented to Houston City Counsel and the HPD Lt. in charge of HPD's traffic division. She looked like a fool stammering around and couldn't respond other than to say, "well, maybe so, but we're going to go with cameras." Like speed limits, red light cameras are about money, not safety. The same or better improvement in accident reduction was available by re-timing the traffic lights, but Houston wanted the camera money.

Traffic laws are about money, period.

Chas.

[WildBill]

Traffic laws are about money, period. Chas.

But what about the children?

[puma guy]

We need to change state law so that every penny of traffic fines goes to the State of Texas. It should also set a benchmark for the percentage of drivers expected to exceed the speed limit and if a city has a percentage higher than the benchmark, it should lose State funding for projects.

Cities set speed limits with an eye toward generating revenue and safety has nothing to do with it. If the money goes to the State, the incentive to set unnecessarily and unreasonably low speed limits will be diminished. Couple the loss of ticket revenue with a loss of state funding for city projects if the percentage of traffic violations are over the benchmark, and you can bet city leaders will follow appropriate standards for setting speed limits.

When the City of Houston adopted red light cameras, Ch. 11 TV interviewed a university professor about a traffic study that proved intersection crashes could be reduced by huge percentages simply by extending the length of the yellow light by 1 to 2 seconds. (I think it was Texas A&M, but I'm not sure.) This study was presented to Houston City Counsel and the HPD Lt. in charge of HPD's traffic division. She looked like a fool stammering around and couldn't respond other than to say, "well, maybe so, but we're going to go with cameras." Like speed limits, red light cameras are about money, not safety. The same or better improvement in accident reduction was available by re-timing the traffic lights, but Houston wanted the camera money.


Traffic laws are about money, period.

Chas.

Oh Thank Heaven For You Charles. I thought I was alone!

[PappaGun]

I am a two year resident of Texas now and there is a lot that takes some getting used to when it comes to traffic.

If the article is correct, in that each jurisdiction can set their own laws because of "Home Rule" I now have a much better understanding of some of the inconsistencies I see.

Recently there was an article in the Dallas paper quoting a traffic engineer who said that Dallas follows the national traffic standards. There is no way. And if "Home Rule" is indeed the law, then he was flat out lying.

Where I previously lived, the standards were strictly followed and the speed limits, lane markings, signage etc. were consistent across the state. When I moved to Texas, one of my first comments to my wife was how poorly and inconsistently the lane markings are on the roads. Sometimes the left lane ends, sometimes the right lane ends, sometimes a merge is marked, sometimes it's not. I could go on n on.

Charles comment on the yellow light timing is spot on.

The same discussion was had where I used to live. I can no longer quote the standard, but there is a length of time for yellow lights quantified in hundreths of a second per ten miles an hour. It was shown there that a majority of intersections with red light cameras did not follow the standard (they were shorter, imagine that!) so they changed them and nullified all the tickets.

What Texas has done by adopting "Home Rule" is to insure that a defendant has no recourse and that revenue generation is maximized.

[MasterOfNone]

There's another aspect of the handling of traffic fines that really annoys me. My wife got her red light camera tickets in Arlington mailed to her by an out-of-state company. How does a Texas government agency justify outsourcing to an out-of-state company?

[MasterOfNone]

I thought this was an interesting article.

Three of the top ten cities for speed traps are in Texas.

The comments about how Texas sets its speed limits is insightful.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_c ... peed-traps" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This list must've only considered large cities. Many have heard of Lawtee and Waldo in Florida. AAA put up billboards along US-301 to warn drivers about the towns.

[puma guy]

I am a two year resident of Texas now and there is a lot that takes some getting used to when it comes to traffic.

If the article is correct, in that each jurisdiction can set their own laws because of "Home Rule" I now have a much better understanding of some of the inconsistencies I see.

Recently there was an article in the Dallas paper quoting a traffic engineer who said that Dallas follows the national traffic standards. There is no way. And if "Home Rule" is indeed the law, then he was flat out lying.

Where I previously lived, the standards were strictly followed and the speed limits, lane markings, signage etc. were consistent across the state. When I moved to Texas, one of my first comments to my wife was how poorly and inconsistently the lane markings are on the roads. Sometimes the left lane ends, sometimes the right lane ends, sometimes a merge is marked, sometimes it's not. I could go on n on.

Charles comment on the yellow light timing is spot on.

The same discussion was had where I used to live. I can no longer quote the standard, but there is a length of time for yellow lights quantified in hundreths of a second per ten miles an hour. It was shown there that a majority of intersections with red light cameras did not follow the standard (they were shorter, imagine that!) so they changed them and nullified all the tickets.

What Texas has done by adopting "Home Rule" is to insure that a defendant has no recourse and that revenue generation is maximized.

I believe the minimum recommended yellow light duration from TxDOT is 3.9 seconds. Houston shortened them far below that at some locations in order to to maximize revenue. As Charles stated it's all about the money. The Accident and death rates went up in Montana or maybe it was Wyoming when the Clinton administration forced the stae to post speed limits on their highways that had no speed limit. Driver courtesy on highways also vanished for the most part. There's probably not a single place in Texas that abides by the 85% rule.

[Bullwhip]

http://www.thenewspaper.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[VoiceofReason]

Shenandoah is the worst of the worse.

My wife got a ticket for 11 miles over on the 45 entrance ramp for about $250.00.

[PappaGun]

Shenandoah is the worst of the worse.

My wife got a ticket for 11 miles over on the 45 entrance ramp for about $250.00.

On the 75 exit ramp to Northwest Highway in Dallas, the first sign you see says 35 mph. It's one of those yellow cautionary type signs, not the official Speed Limit type sign. Then, about 50 yards later is an official 45 mph sign.

So you go from 60 to 35 to 45.

And I have often seen radar at that spot but have been fortunate enough not to be the one who gets nailed.

I am always curious if they ticket for 35 or 45 being the limit.

[Pacifist]

We're number one! We're number one!

Why is it that Houston so often seems to be at the top of lists about which it would be better to be at the bottom.