A lot of cities in the United States are strapped for cash but a handful of them are taking extreme measures of raising funds by taking these steps:
1. Install red-light cameras
2. Shorten the yellow light duration
3. Profit!
Here is an article at the National Motorist Association about 6 cities that were caught shortening yellow traffic light durations for profit. Take Chattanooga, Tennessee, for example:
Link - Thanks Christophe! (Photo: Tmuna Fish [Flickr])The city of Chattanooga was forced refund $8800 in red light cameras tickets issued to motorists trapped by an illegally short yellow time. The refund only occurred after a motorist challenged his citation by insisting that the yellow light time of 3.0 seconds was too short. LaserCraft, the private vendor that runs the camera program in return for a cut of the profits, provided the judge with a computer database that asserted the yellow was 3.8 seconds at that location.
The judge then personally checked the intersection in question was timed at three seconds while other nearby locations had about four seconds of yellow warning. City traffic engineer John Van Winkle told Bean that “a mix up with the turn arrow” was responsible and that the bare minimum for the light should be 3.9 seconds. (Source)
1. Install red-light cameras
2. Shorten the yellow light duration
3. ????
4. Profit!
Hey, they're onto something. And when fatal collisions are more common, the money will spread around the community more thickly.
There are other ways to rip citizens off.
This is obviously the city's subtle way of encouraging me to slam the gas pedal to the floor and accelerate through the intersection at dangerous speeds when I'm within 50 feet of the light. I suppose I could be wrong, but why else would they do it?
It's so bad that pedestrians cross in the middle of the block rather than at the light because at least in the middle of the block you have a few seconds to dodge the cars.
You want to go after the guys going 100 mph on the highway and running lights while the opposing light is green fine! But stop lining your pockets by shortening the yellow light, and keeping the max speed as low as possible.
Loosely...
"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws."
In short, yes, they want people to run red lights, as well as any of the other untold number of fools laws on the books.
The fear and paranoia of breaking laws are powerful tools in the hands of the state.
Many cities are shutting the cameras off.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23710970
I'll give these guys the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the yellow lights were shortened to lengthen the green lights, which might ease traffic congestions slightly.
The cop was parked by the light, and actually had the control box for the light open! He was controlling the light manually!
I fought the ticket in court, and managed to get the points on my license dismissed, but still had to pay the fine.
Talk about a rip off!