[Scan-DC] License Plate Readers

[Earthlink]

PG County does it "right" as well - the speed camera fine is $40.  No points, no insurance company can raise your premiums and it does not go on your driving record.  Not many folks willing to miss a day of work for $40.  What a deal!  It is, of course, about safety only.

Frank Carson

On Jan 15, 2013, at 9:59, Dewey3 <dewey3 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Here's the funny thing about DC... tickets are NOT supposed to be a means
> of generating revenue.  Rather, tickets are meant to increase safety by
> decreasing the chances of repeat offenders and discouraging first
> offenders.  HA!!!  DC has already PUBLICLY talked about how they are
> increasing their camera count to reduce their deficit.  I have yet to see
> one, or even know how they are going to operate, but DC is supposed to also
> be getting stop sign cameras!  Now with that said, I have always said that
> DC is least at a win-win scenario.  If you are ticketed, it's the vehicle
> and not the driver that gets the ticket.  How is this win-win... because
> the city gets their money, yet you do NOT get any points (the gift that
> keeps on giving... insurance).  I have no studies to back this up, but my
> bet is that a very large number of the city's automated tickets are paid
> without question since that is the end of the story as opposed to
> contesting a human issued ticket HOPING for a dismissal, traffic school,
> reduction in fine, dismissal of points, or any combination of the above AND
> a loss of a day's pay.  Just my two cents for the day.
> 
> Dewey
> MPDC - Retired
> (1983 - 2010)
> 
> On Tue, Jan 15, 2013 at 9:30 AM, Sheldon Daitch <SDAITCH at bbg.gov> wrote:
> 
>> rick,
>> 
>> well, anytime you have two points and calculate the speed based
>> on time and distance, it has to be average speed, because there is
>> no way to determine instantaneous speed at any point between the
>> the two timing location points.
>> 
>> I know there are speed cameras which determine the vehicle speed
>> as it passes the camera installation.  I don't know the details on
>> speed calculation, that is, if the vehicle has a speed change in the
>> speed determining zone if too much speed change will not allow
>> the system to detect a speeder.
>> 
>> We are being told the newer cameras have license plate recognition
>> and if the same plate number appears at the next (or successive)
>> camera systems, and the math determines that the plate could not
>> go from point A to point B without speeding, the plate number is
>> flagged for a ticket.  So, if the system is in place and works, it does
>> seem that tickets could be issued for speeding, based on calculated
>> speed determined from time.
>> 
>> In your Illinois example, it does seem certain vehicles (trucks) are
>> targeted.   I don't think other vehicles should be exempted.
>> Speeding is speeding.
>> 
>> At least in Kuwait, the camera tickets do not seem to go against
>> the driver, but against the vehicle.  I don't think they mail out tickets
>> but they do collect the fines at vehicle registration time.  Don't pay
>> the ticket, you can't renew the registration.  Now, interestingly
>> enough, there are no plate changes, no stickers, nothing, so
>> it is impossible to determine from looking at the plate that the
>> registration is or is not current.
>> 
>> 73
>> Sheldon
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