Playing with a new idea

[ICEMANN]

TRAFFIC LIGHT CAMERA'S......


Everyone's seen a traffic light camera or been had by one. Ive been playin with an idea with moderate testing. Kinda funny because it would sell well.


Anyway for those that know me, I over do it well!

The general principal of the TRAFFIC cam is based on the traffic light changing to red triggering the speed measuriing device. If the speed is above a certain number and the light is red, this will trigger the camera to take multiple image blasts above 30 fps to get you "running" the light and photographing your license plate. Speed device camera's work the same way. Takes a picture of you speeding and based on license plate info mails you a ticket. Anyway this is my understanding.

NOW............

If you have ever taken a video camera and put it in black and white mode, or a black and white camera, aim a television remote control at it you can see the LED blink. YOU also can see the amount of "light" the LED on your remote puts out. Pretty signifcant.

The military uses them on the humvees to do night manuvers with their low beam model lighting up 50 yards using 5 leds. The high beam model is 250 yards with 14 leds for high speed drills.

Tried it using one of these pictured as a test. (cheap) Using my video camera in black and white mode, it completely blinded the camera from reading the plate. Using studio flash kits from my photography gear it did well when mounted RIGHT ON THE license plate. Going to try it from above shining down.

Anyway just curious to what the outcome will be. Kinda neat for those that tinker!
Might be a nice way to "hide" your plate without hiding it. Towards the traffic camera's anyway. If it works I know it's going on my SUV. $100.00 friggin red light ticket to a company that has nothing to do with the local courts and I had swear I was in the yellow. HA!

ICE
JD

 

[ICEMANN]

CCD Camera LED illuminators can see upwards of 75 feet and cost about $6.00, which makes them very bright. Anyway just an idea. On a car/truck the license plate light is already pointed at the plate so why not "help" it out.

 

[sixpack577]

When you perfect it, let me know, I'm buyin, and we don't even have those camera lights here...yet. And good lookin out.

 

[thebbbusa]

Been a long time Ice. Good to see you around. Maybe we (and Rhythm) can hook up this summer.

Holla!

 

[ktw88q]

Looks good I have them all around my house I hate it sit for 10 min at some lights..

 

[aussiekeeper]

AHH, yea, How about just obey the law?

 

[black07busa]

I like your idea, and I hope it works out. aussiekeeper's idea is also a good point, for those people who can not operate a vehicle at a speed the gov't in the 70's figured was safe. Vehicle technology, and drivers knowledge have improved so much within the last 40years, and yester years definition of "safe" does not apply, and is'nt that the point of the speed limit "safety". IMO posted speed limits are relative to the time, place, conditions of the road, and oh yea the capability of the driver. And lets be honest everyone does not obey the speed limit all the time, and they never will. Sorry about the rant.

 

[ICEMANN]

THE SHOCKER!

This idea wasnt developed to just out right "BREAK THE LAW". It was more so the principle behind it.

This came about first of all getting a red light ticket from a traffic camera that lacks the "HUMAN" element. COMMON SENSE.

In my particular case my front wheels where on top of the "CROSS BAR" at the intersection when the light showed red in the photograph. So technically AT THAT MOMENT I was beginning the violation.

What upset me was the "TIMESTAMP". The time stamp showed my tires forward already crossing the stop bar at .002 seconds after the light changed to red. HELL I dont blink that fast. At .011 seconds I cleared the left turn. The oncoming traffic had not rolled forward yet. Less than 1/2 second had passed and at .002 seconds the traffic light was now behind the windshield and out of view. Having YEARS of LE experience no traffic cop would have even attempted to write that one. Too many distrations. watching the tires, the bar, and the light. I guess im whinning stating it wasnt blairing!.

Anyway you have to pay the $100.00 fee in advance then have an arbotration hearing to determine if it can go to trial at your local courts.

Secondly was the issue of a motorcycle not tripping the traffic magnet/loop under ground with a no right turn on red sign. CATCH 22.

SO from personal experience and testing, if you pass a speed type traffic camera in excess of 174mph the camera will not fire. To fast for the motion sensor to activate. Sensor uses time over distance. And since Im too old to ride wheelies while making a left turn to avoid sitting at a light this seemed like a challange.

So here I am.

 

[Blanca BusaLess]

Your gonna get alot of tickets testing it to perfection aren't you ?
Won't you have to actually run around runnin lights and waiting to see if a ticket comes in the mail ?
How else do you intend to test it ?

 

[isiahstites]

Just an FYI for you guys and red light tickets. I am a traffic signal tech by day and work for a local city in my area. Our city does not currently have red light cameras, however the surrounding cities do and I am friends with most of the other cities technicians.

The way they work is this.........there is what we call vehicle detection loops and in the roadway prior to the stop bar to tell the controller a vehicle is in a left turn pocket or a straight thru movement and there is also video detection that does the same thing via painted zones on particular movement, when you move the pixels on the screen it detects you and sends in a call. These triggers puts in a call to the controller saying there is a demand for service in these directions. When they put in the red light cameras they typically use the loops in the pavement. These loops are placed ahead of the stop bar XX amount of feet, once the light turns red if its detects a vehicle over the loop it fires off the camera and your busted.

With the loops type systems they are fool proof, if you ran the light it will get you, if you did not it won't get you on a yellow. There are timers set-up tom ensure it will only trigger after the red.

Hope this helps,
Scott

 

[TruWrecks]

The problem with many cities that use red light cameras is that many of them shorten the yellow light timer by a second or more so that they catch many more drivers that are used to having a longer delay before the red. I know of a few intersections where the city has shortened the yellow light timer so much you can't make it across the intersection before the red if you don't enter on a green.

 

[FanaticalKilla]

The problem with many cities that use red light cameras is that many of them shorten the yellow light timer by a second or more so that they catch many more drivers that are used to having a longer delay before the red. I know of a few intersections where the city has shortened the yellow light timer so much you can't make it across the intersection before the red if you don't enter on a green.

It's not supposed to be illegal to enter on a yellow, it is when you enter on a red that you get a ticket.

 

[Flicka]

The problem with many cities that use red light cameras is that many of them shorten the yellow light timer by a second or more so that they catch many more drivers that are used to having a longer delay before the red. I know of a few intersections where the city has shortened the yellow light timer so much you can't make it across the intersection before the red if you don't enter on a green.

Here's an article from Chattanooga, about two years ago.

Quick light leads to refunds for 176 drivers

The Chattanooga Municipal Court Clerk’s office will order fines refunded for 176 motorists who were ticketed for running an improperly timed traffic light at M.L. King Boulevard and Pine Street.
“I’m going to dismiss them, and the city is going to refund their money back,†Municipal Court Judge Russell Bean said.
Officials realized a traffic light at the intersection of M.L. King Boulevard and Pine Street was not timed correctly when a man ticketed as a result of a traffic camera for running the light raised the issue in court.
Judge Bean and city traffic engineer John Van Winkle investigated the intersection and discovered that the yellow light for motorists turning left onto Pine Street from east M.L King was too short.
Mr. Van Winkle said the yellow light should have been illuminated for almost four seconds, but it was on only for three.
“We found the problem and corrected it that day,†he said. “We are committed to providing accurate and fair handling of these citations, and if we find an error we intend to correct it.â€
The city will refund all $50 fines for motorists cited for running the light within a second of the light turning red, Mr. Van Winkle said.
City Chief Financial Officer Daisy Madison said she is in the process of notifying affected motorists that they will get a refund.
“I am working on that right now,†she said. “We will get (checks) out as soon as possible.â€
Chattanooga contracts with LaserCraft Inc., which provides and maintains the cameras. The city and the Norcross, Ga.-based company, share a portion of each $50 fine that results from a citation. How the fine is split depends on the type of camera, officials said.
Ms. Madison said she is trying to determine if LaserCraft will refund its portion of the fines to the city.
Mr. Van Winkle said the city’s traffic lights typically are set based on how long it takes a vehicle to pass through the intersection using a formula that takes into account the width of the intersection, speed limit, amount of traffic and whether the intersection is on a hill.
He and Judge Bean said safety is the number one goal.
“I am convinced after speaking with the city and after speaking with LaserCraft (that) they are interested in safety and saving lives,†Judge Bean said.
Officials at LaserCraft did not return calls Wednesday seeking comment.

Chattanooga Times Free Press | Quick light leads to refunds for 176 drivers

 

[jpowell490]

You know, they tested that on myth busters about trying to hide their tag from the camera. The 176mph thing, I remember them going through close to 200mph in a lambo and it still got them.

It was a tag picture mind you, but it still got em.

 

[Vega]

I used to work as a tech for a red light camera company here in Cali. Out here you have to get the face image of the driver as well since it's full $375 ticket and a point on your record, but because of that, motorcyclist's with full face helmets were usually untouchable...

And if you're driving a car, all you have to do is cover your face. But I didn't tell you that... (Again just out here in Cali as far as I know)

There is also this option is to install one of these.. They are not street legal, but if you're looking down this path I don't think you'd really care anyways...

Products at Tricplate.com

 

[snipe]

it's the same in AZ too, used to live there and had a couple dismissed cause you couldn't fully see my face

 

[071300r]

I am no law abiding citizen , with that said, yellow means slow down be prepaired to stop, but the new way is go faster.. I am guilty of it as well but truth be told when you see yellow you say dam and mash the gas not decel and brake as it was intended to be. then on the flip side when you are waiting for the green the second it turns we hit the gas and off to the races we go, now picture you on the other side running the yellow or red light, you are going to crash!!! the world has gone and got it self in a big dam hurry, last night I went to a local place here on bike night (quaker stake and lube) on the way on a bridge we were doing between 70 and 80 going with traffic and a black suv could not wait any more and took out my friends ground off some of his toes broke his leg and some ribs.. thank god a lady in a suv saw what happened and explained it to the state troopers...not the bikes fault!!! the suv just changed lanes and took him out. there was about 15 of us that night so the safety in numbers thing is out the window. oh and the suv ran as well

 

[Reverendron]

It should work at night but I don't think it will work during the day.

 

[RedFalco]

There is also this option is to install one of these.. They are not street legal, but if you're looking down this path I don't think you'd really care anyways...

Products at Tricplate.com

Way Cool!

I was thinking flip-up plate when begining to read thread. But this is moe better.
LED idea very good too..

 

[scrappy]

In AZ, they had speed cameras on the HWY, nailed tons of people here, almost half of the motorists including myself would not pay fines since its a federal highway and is governed not by the cities who started the speeding camera Shenanigans. To be required to pay a federal HWY fine you must be stopped by an officer who has jurisdiction on federal property, city cameras do not qualify. AZ had the cameras up for 6 months then realized that only the ignorant people were paying (less than 1/2), and the cities lost a few million dollars in upkeep and lost fines/court battles.. so they took them down, no more HWY cameras on the I-10 in AZ... however they kept the red light cameras (which i agree are the best cameras to have in place). Way too many motorists run the red lights here... We have the top 5 deadliest intersections in the country!