Is there a way to see if Anthony Williams (or George Bush' motorcade) has been caught speeding but has not been fined? Government people are not going to fine themselves now; are they?

Seeing as George Bush's motorcade is the police, I don't think speeding will be much of an issue.

According to a recent study done by the Washington Post, the number of accidents has actually gone up at intersections with the cameras. Accidents have increased at other intersections as well since the city began installing cameras several years ago, but the occurrence of "incidents" has increased at least as much or even more at intersections where the cameras are posted!
This information was derived from three independent outside traffic specialists who said they were surprised by the results.
The Washington Post story ran on Oct. 4, and will be excerpted in the Talking Points section of the November issue of LP News.

J. Daniel Cloud wrote: "...the occurrence of 'incidents' has increased at least as much or even more at intersections where the cameras are posted!"

That's a very interesting observation. Increasing the regulation of driver behavior results in an increase in the number of accidents. Can you provide a link to that article here on this blog?

It's not the regulation that does it exactly. It's what the company that runs the lights does to increase money intake. Usually, these automated lights are contracted out to a private firm, and the private firm actually keeps a portion of profits generated by tickets on these lights. The company then recommends that the yellow light interval be reduced to generate more tickets, and the police comply.

It is this reduced yellow light interval which causes the accidents because it leads to half of people jamming on their accelerator the second they see yellow and hope they make it, and the other half of people jamming on the brakes dangerously fast to stop themselves from going through a red. In most circumstances if you increase a yellow light interval by 1 to 2 seconds, accidents go down tremendously. Of course, you don't make as much money that way.

Traffic cameras are a perfect example of treating a symptom rather than finding a cure.

Can you imagine a private company allowing an "open invitation to litigation" to exist flagrantly for a century or more?

That's what many features of public roadways, such as many intersections, really are. They haven't been fixed because governments, for the most part, are immune from liability lawsuits.

Lights themselves are a wasteful solution to managing traffic. A better solution is building "roundabout" intersections such as the ones all over Britain.

http://www.hertsheritage.org.uk/transport/roundabout.htm

http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk/roundabout01big.html

Roundabouts keep traffic flowing fairly smoothly and, as a side benefit, keep the waste of fuel to a minimum (a thirty-minute, cross-town trip stopping every few minutes to stop at a light for two or three minutes means your car was getting ZERO mph while running waiting for alight to change).

Now this is going to upset the negatarian and "expert" set:

But whether or not roundabouts become a fact of life here, existing roadways can be auctioned off to private operators so that better ways of reducing accidents at intersections can be found by owners who have a financial stake in doing so.

I know the negatarians shriek in horror at the thought of other Libertarians even mentioning private-sector transport systems -- the following links are posted here partially to help them shriek even more, but mainly to show that the issue is already on the sonar readouts of the major-party politicians:

http://www.privatization.org

http://www.cato.org/pubs/policy_report/pr-so-sd.html#roads

http://www.webmanager.cl/prontus_cea/cea_2002/site/asocfile/ASOCFILE120030327134533.pdf

Given how much various transport "common carriers" such as roadways and railroads are subsidized by the government, it is perfectly appropriate for Libertarians to hammer away on this issue as aggressively as they can.

Like any other issue, of course. Roads are no different from government waste in any other area.

I already knew that accidents has gone up when camera are placed at the intersection, it is old news here in California. If I am not mistaken I think they took it down.

The government is soooo greedy for money and controlling people's lives that they can't think of anything else.

D Walter,

What makes you think I'd have a adverse reaction at that?

I'm not convinced regarding roundabouts, DWalter.

From: http://www.urbanservices.act.gov.au/transroads/roads/trafficsignals.html

Traffic lights generally require less land than roundabouts and they also have specific facilities for pedestrians. Additionally roundabouts have an in-built priority rule, this means that in heavy traffic, movements in one direction can tend to dominate and cause excessive delays to vehicle movements in other directions. A report published in the UK also suggests that roundabouts are 2-3 times more dangerous for cyclists than traffic lights.

Also from: http://www.gtcmpo.org/Programs/Resources/roundabouts.htm#Comparison

Special Considerations and Concerns with Roundabouts

Driver Inexperience

The typical American driver has little to no experience with roundabouts. As such, crash rates on newly built roundabouts might be higher than average for a while after the roundabout opens. As time passes and drivers become more comfortable with the roundabout, crashes of all types typically decrease.

Pedestrians Traveling through Roundabouts

Since traffic is continually flowing in and out of the roundabout and is not controlled by a signal, there is no time when a pedestrian can be reasonably certain that a vehicle will not pass over the crosswalk. Roundabouts can also be difficult for visually impaired pedestrians to determine the moment when it is safe to cross as many utilize traffic sounds to determine when a roadway is clear. Additionally, the route pedestrians must take around a roundabout is longer than the route they would take to walk through many signalized intersections.

Bicyclists Traveling through Roundabouts

Bicyclists can travel through a roundabout either as a vehicle (within the roundabout) or as a pedestrian (walking their bicycle). Some multi-lane roundabouts utilize an adjacent one-way trail where bicyclists approach the roundabout on-street, merge with the side trail via a ramp, travel around the roundabout on the trail, and then re-merge with the street via another ramp. This option presents some challenges with motor vehicles yielding at crossing points (similar to pedestrian issues described above). Notably, the reduced speeds of motor vehicles within the roundabout more closely match a bicyclist?s typical speed range (approximately 10 - 20 mph).

Emergency Vehicles

Emergency vehicles cannot speed through a roundabout like they can a signal light; they need to slow down and pass through the circle like regular traffic. Additionally, traffic signals offer the option for signal preemption to provide the green light to emergency vehicles; roundabouts require travelers to yield to emergency vehicles.

Lighting

Illumination costs may be greater for a roundabout than a standard intersection as more lighting is typically required. More lighting may also be a concern of adjacent property owners, especially near residential areas

Snow Removal

As with any new roadway configuration, highway maintenance staff will need to learn new snowplowing techniques. Notably, some of the earliest modern roundabouts in the United States were constructed in Vail, Colorado, an area that receives a significant amount of snowfall annually.

Parking

The construction of a roundabout to replace an existing traditional signalized intersection may result in the loss of some on-street parking if allowed near the former intersection.

Right-of-Way Requirements

The construction of a roundabout typically requires more right-of-way than a traditional intersection controlled by traffic signals or stops signs, which may increase the cost of a roundabout installation if right-of-way must be purchased.

You know with more of our rights being taken, including women rights. We need to get Libertarians in office NOW. We will live like Muslim in america the way the bush administration is going.

I think I have a solution here. See, what we need to do is get MORE of these cameras, and then hide them everywhere. Then you could hire half the population to sit and keep tabs on the other half. There'd never be another crime, ever! And you know, there'd be some opposition to this at first, but I'm sure if you came up with a snappy name for it, people would come around. You could call it the thought police.....but no, no, that's too obvious.....maybe if we could think of something parental, or comforting, like an older sibling.... you know, something that reminds you of your older brother who taught you to play baseball....hmmm. I'm sure something will come to me.

Actually put a camera at bushes house and miers.

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