Speed Camera News

Missing speed scamera tickets lead to citizens found "guilty" (with late fees) in Morinville, Canada.

(Thanks to Camerafraud.com for the link).

http://morinvillenews.com/2011/11/07/missing-tickets-leads-to-upset-motorists/

Missing tickets lead to upset motorists
7 November 2011

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – Although it is not surprising for anyone to get caught in the lens of Morinville’s photo radar camera, some area residents were surprised to find they’d been caught and convicted without ever having received the initial speeding ticket, a situation that has resulted in a late fee being applied to that earlier infraction.

One such resident is Lisa Fuhr, who received a notice of conviction on Oct. 20 for a ticket she’d allegedly been sent for a speeding offence said to have occurred July 21. Fuhr said the initial ticket was never received and that after several phone calls, including one to Integrated Traffic Services (ITS), Morinville’s photo radar contractor, she learned she would have to apply to the court to have the additional late fee dropped.

“Why are we having to take time out of our work days?” Fuhr asked, noting there was obviously a flaw in the Town of Morinville’s ticket delivery service and that she’d talked to others in similar circumstances to herself. “I have no idea how many tickets it could be.”

The way Morinville’s photo radar system works is ITS records the information from the speeding violation, that information is then turned over to the Town of Morinville, who prints the tickets and delivers them to Canada Post. Once the tickets are sent in the mail, it becomes a matter for the provincial courts.

But for Fuhr the situation has left a bad taste in her mouth, one she says she has to pay for in time or money. “If there’s a whole batch of tickets that went missing, how is that my problem? It’s not my service. I didn’t hire them. I’m wondering where it is that it’s my problem.”

Read more: Missing speed scamera tickets lead to citizens found "guilty" (with late fees) in Morinville, Canada

Scamera Attacks Week Ending 11/6/2011

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/36/3631.asp

11/6/2011
Germany, Italy: Vigilantes Damage Speed Cameras
Vigilantes set fire to and smash speed cameras in Germany and Italy.

Vigilantes attempted to destroy a speed camera in Malchow, Germany October 29. Tires were placed around the automated ticketing machine on Autobahn 19 toward Muritz. Firefighters arrived in time to extinguish the blaze and limit the damage to the device's outer housing and wiring. According to Ostsee Zeitung http://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/nachrichten/mv/index_artikel_komplett.phtml?SID=ce1f0618eff4ad5920c1765fb8a85079¶m=news&id=3277690 repairs will cost 4000 euros (US $5515). Cameras in the area have been attacked six times since 2006.

On the same day at around 3am in Ehrenburg, vigilantes smashed the glass lens of an automated ticketing machine. According to Diepholz Police, this triggered an internal alarm that summoned officers. They found no suspects. Damage was estimated at 500 euros (US $690).

In Prato, Italy vigilantes celebrated Halloween by setting fire to a speed camera, il Sito di Prato http://www.ilsitodiprato.it/content/306-festeggiano-halloween-dando-fuoco-cassoneti-e-autovelox reported.

Chicago Speed Scamera FUZZY MATH on STATISTICS!

OUT OF 251 Pedestrian deaths. ONLY 4 yound DEATHS where speed was a "contributing factor" IN THE PROPOSED SPEED SCAMERA ZONES!

Quote:  Speed was listed as a contributing factor in 12 of those deaths of young pedestrians. Of those, four occurred at locations inside the zones Emanuel now proposes to allow speed cameras to operate.

 
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-speed-camera-1106-gfc.eps-20111105,0,3527313.graphic

Ban the Cams NOTE:  In yearly reports  can list up to 3 factors in the "contributing" section.  See:  http://www.bhspi.org/mauz/Speed%20Crash%20Statistics%20by%20Greg%20Mauz.pdf

Quote:  Traffic crash statistics, especially for speeding, can already mislead the average citizen.
U.S. and most state statistics allow up to 3 factors per crash as "contributing circwnstances." For example: Joe Citizen, with a .18 blood alcohol content (BAC), runs a red-light at 10 MPH over the speed limit, colliding with another vehicle and killing the driver. Without question, the primary cause of the wreck is drunk driving.

I wonder does Emanuel play 5 card monty too???? 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-speed-camera-1106-20111106,0,4633406.story

Would speed cameras really save lives?
Ticketing may bring in revenue, but statistics show city's proposed 'safety zones' are not where most kids are killed by speeders

By Bob Secter, David Heinzmann and Max Rust, Chicago Tribune reporters
 
November 6, 2011
Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he wants speed cameras legalized in the city to protect kids from being mowed down by cars, but federal data suggest the effort may have a limited impact on reducing fatalities.

Chicago logged 251 pedestrian fatalities between 2005 and 2009, but fewer than half occurred in the "safety zones" where cameras would be allowed to operate under Emanuel's plan, and fewer than half of those involved speeding.

The same statistics show that two-thirds of speed-related deaths involving pedestrians age 18 or under also happened outside Emanuel's proposed enforcement zone — 8 of 12 in all.

It's hard to argue with the notion that promoting caution near schools and parks is a good thing, one reason that Emanuel has framed his camera initiative in those terms. One pedestrian death, or for that matter a serious injury, is too many, especially when it comes to children.

"My goal is only one thing, the safety of our kids," Emanuel proclaimed last month.

But Emanuel's lightning-fast push for speed cameras has left little time to scrutinize an initiative backed up by sometimes murky, incomplete and inconsistent data. It likewise downplays the enormous potential to generate revenue for the cash-strapped city.

The proposal, which would allow the city to flag drivers for $100 tickets, moved from unveiling to passage in the state Senate in just a week. House action and final legislative approval could come within days of the legislature's return to Springfield this week.

The legislation would limit use of the cameras to the city. That said, officially registering their support at a Senate hearing two weeks ago were lobbyists for RedSpeed Illinois, a leading red-light camera vendor in the suburbs whose British parent markets speed-camera systems in that nation.

Red-light cameras have proved lucrative for vendors as well as municipalities, and speed cameras hold the potential for even more revenue. Cameras generated $69 million for Chicago in 2010, up more than $10 million from the previous year, city officials said.

Emanuel and supporters argue that turning to automated cameras is a smart and efficient way to promote safety with technology. While he has stressed the focused nature of his proposal, the enforcement zones he wants are nonetheless designed so broadly as to cover nearly half the city.

But while they push the idea that slowing speeders will protect children, city officials have struggled to demonstrate the initiative will accomplish that.

(Ban the Cams:  Witness a lie in action by the City of Chicago!)

Testifying before the Senate Transportation Committee, Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy punctuated his call for quick action on speed cameras with a chilling statistic: the rate of pedestrian fatalities in Chicago was 68 percent higher than in New York.

(Ban the Cams:  Witness the truth)

That assertion, however, contradicts the city's own recently released analysis of pedestrian crashes that found the pedestrian fatality rate here lower than in New York and many other large municipalities. It concluded that "relatively speaking, Chicago has a safe pedestrian environment given the volume of traffic."

A city spokesman said McCarthy appeared to have garbled the findings of a different study that said the rate of fatalities in all traffic accidents, not just those involving pedestrians, was higher here than in New York.

Read more: Chicago Speed Scamera FUZZY MATH on STATISTICS!

http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/accidents-speed-camera-sites-East-Yorkshire/story-13730460-detail/story.html
 
More accidents at nine speed camera sites in East Yorkshire
 
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
 
Hull Daily Mail

SPEED cameras have failed to cut accidents at nine sites in East Yorkshire, the Mail can reveal.
Almost seven more people have been killed or seriously injured since mobile speed cameras were introduced at the locations.

Another 21 people suffered minor injuries.

They include the B1237 at Saltshouse Road and the A1033 at Thomas Clarkson Way in Hull and the A614 south of Shiptonthorpe in the East Riding.

Ruth Gore, of the Safer Roads Humber partnership, said: "When this occurs we work closely with the local highways authority to investigate what else can be done at these sites.

"In some cases this will involve simple solutions like better lining and signage and in other cases it may involve a change in speed limit or other engineering solutions.

"The solution will depend what is appropriate within the resources available and, in many cases, speed enforcement is the only viable solution at the current time."
The data starts from the date the camera was installed, which is different for each location, and runs up to March 31 last year – the most recent information available.

Ms Gore said the average speed drivers are travelling at has fallen at each location where speed cameras have been used, whether they are fixed or mobile cameras.

She said: "We have a number of sites that, while the number of people being killed or seriously injured has decreased, the number of injury collisions has increased.

"Because speeds have been reduced, the severity of injury has also reduced, so what would have been a serious injury in the past is now a slight injury as impact speeds have decreased.

"Our message to motorists is to drive safely and appropriately within the speed limit at all times."

Keith Peat, of the Association of British Drivers, said: "Speed cameras are not about road safety. They are about making money and they are extremely lucrative.

"An increase in accidents after speed cameras have been installed can and does happen.

"That's because speeding has got nothing whatsoever to do with accidents.

"Things like drink-driving, dangerous driving and careless driving cause accidents. Cameras don't stop that.

"Cameras don't stop people who are driving too fast for the conditions, for the car, or for their ability.

"Most accidents occur below the speed limit."
 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/banredcamscom/banredcams-condemns-dillard-support-for-red-light-speeding-ticket-cameras/10150891471010580
 
BanRedCams Condemns Dillard Support for Red Light Speeding Ticket Cameras
 

by BanRedCams.com on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 1:01pm

Calls Urged to Other DuPage Legislators to Oppose “Big Brother” Proposal
 
BanRedCams, a grass roots initiative to end the use of red light cameras in Illinois, is urging citizens in DuPage County to contact their state legislators to ask them to oppose Senate Bill 965, a plan by the City of Chicago to install automated speed cameras in locations covering nearly half the city. BanRedCams is taking special aim at Hinsdale Senator Kirk Dillard, the only DuPage County legislator to support the measure, leader of a group of three Republicans who broke with their party to provide the winning margin for the camera measure in the Illinois Senate. The bill was introduced on October 24, 2011, and rushed to a vote two days later on October 26.
 
“We are extremely disappointed that Senator Dillard is ignoring the views of his constituents and giving red light camera companies and Chicago politicians another way to bleed taxpayers dry,” stated Peter Breen, the founder of BanRedCams. “It all starts in one jurisdiction and then morphs its way into other communities that are cash-strapped and looking for any short term solution. The people in many communities including my own have overwhelmingly rejected these ‘Big Brother’ cameras.”
 
State Representative Chris Nybo (R-Lombard) strongly opposes the bill and applauds the group's effort. “This bill is nothing more than another attempt by Chicago to solve its own budget mess on the backs of suburbanites, including those in DuPage County. Just like the water rate increases and the effort to tax suburban commuters, this bill is only about Chicago trying to get more money from our taxpayers. I am shocked that any suburban legislator would support a money-grab like this.”
 
BanRedCams.com was founded in 2009 by Peter Breen, to urge the end of the use of red light cameras in the state of Illinois. Breen, now a Lombard Village Trustee, coined the motto for the group: “Unsafe. Unnecessary. Unwanted.”
 

Another day another get quick rich scam by a scamera vendor!

(Thanks to Matt for this).

Read here on someones "lets" speed scamera essentially a expressway "concept".  http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/31/cordon-multi-target-photo-radar-system-leaves-no-car-untagged-v  (It kind of looks like a SPEC system (TIME BASED) to me).

Expressways of course are the SAFEST roads to begin statistically speaking.  This is the scameras companies long term goal.  Micro manage the speed limits on the HIGHEST flowing roads for a profit (where the "speeding" issue is due to limits set below 85% travel speeds http://www.motorists.org/speed-limits/).  IN parts of the world the triggers speeds are under 5 mph or less in some case.  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-17/mobile-cameras-target-low-range-speeding/3575038?section=nsw 

Quote:  The New South Wales Government has defended its mobile speed cameras, after revelations motorists are being booked for exceeding the speed limit by as little as one kilometre an hour.

OF course expressways handle the GREATEST amount of traffic.

OF course this was tried before too, in AZ.  What happen there????

OH yes the state CANCELLED it's contract with Redflex.

Keep fighting the SCAM FOLKS!  Today it might be speed scameras, next it could be drinking a water bottle scamrea.  This has been done in parts of the world like the UK in this 2005 article.  http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/03/331.asp

Quote:  UK officials confirm that the mobile speed cameras on the M4 freeway in Wiltshire will not just be ticketing speeders. They will use long-range cameras with up to a half-mile range to issue tickets to people drinking from a water bottle, eating an apple, talking on mobile phones, reading maps, failing to wear a seatbelt, or letting children stand on the back seats.

Vroom!

When it comes to speed cameras, things are moving very fast.

Late Wednesday, with record breaking speed the Illinois Senate passed SB 965 on a 32–24 vote.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel pushed the initiative with both House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), but it was Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) who rushed the bill through to passage in just three days.

The bill as originally written, would have defined “Safety Zones” as any red light camera intersection within 1/4 mile of a school, park, community college or university and for enforcement to occur 24 hours a day.

Republicans were able to get some concessions and water down the bill a bit by reducing the distance of the safety zones to 1/8 of a mile and restrict the time of enforcement to 6 AM until 10 PM every day. Enforcement around parks would start an hour before the park opens and an hour after it closes.

While originally, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation 161 RLC intersections would have become speed camera equipped, under the new 1/8 mile definition 79 of Chicago’s 191 camera intersections or 41%, will pull double duty for speed enforcement.

Just like red light camera violations, automatic camera enforced speeding violations will be sent by mail but only be issued when drivers exceed the speed limit by more than 5 miles an hour. Vehicles traveling at 5 mph or under will not be subject to a ticket.

Red light cameras equipped with speed enforcement enhancements, will only be able to monitor speeding vehicles only in the range of the camera’s field of view according to CDOT’s Brian Steele.

What that exact distance is, has not been determined yet according to Steele.

Senator Dan Duffy (R-Barrington Hills), a long time opponent of red light camera enforcement and who sponsored a bill to ban them statewide last year, also vehemently opposed SB 965.

“It’s just a big money grab,” said Duffy from the floor of the state Senate in Springfield. “If it passes, it will spread everywhere (in the state).”

The bill now speeds over to the Illinois House of Representatives

Scamera Attacks week ending 10.30.2011 (Builders Foam used to blow up speeds scamera!  See your Home Depot for details!, just KIDDING)

(Ban the Cams note:  All kidding besides, PLEASE DON'T use explosives to scrap scameras. We understand the temptation, but people can get hurt.  If you feel the urge use builders foam instead, spray paint or paint balls.  I PERSONALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF SILLY STRING!

PLEASE NOTE that if they catch you, you can and will face legal repercussions).

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/36/3625.asp

10/30/2011
Speed Cameras Attacked in Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands
Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands see expanding and explosive attacks on speed cameras.

Vigilantes exploded the casing of a speed camera in Koenigsdorf, Germany on Wednesday using expanding builder's foam. Rhine-Erft District Police reported a passing patrol spotted a man intending to use expanding foam to destroy a speed camera in Aachen on Friday. Officials said they do not know who was responsible for the more recent incident. British motoring columnist and BBC Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has advocated the use of foam as the most effective and safest means of destroying a speed camera.

Last year, vigilantes put 44 speed cameras out of commission in Belgium. That represents a 238 percent increase over the number of incidents in 2009. Over the past five years, 49 speed cameras have been set on fire, 19 have been shot and 47 have been spraypainted, HLN reported.  http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/957/Belgie/article/detail/1341245/2011/10/29/44-flitspalen-beschadigd-in-2010.dhtml

Last week on Sunday a team of explosives removal experts were injured in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue a speed camera in Voorschoten, The Netherlands. A homemade explosive went off around 7:30am as a bomb disposal team went to investigate a report of an unusual device attached to the automated ticketing machine, ED.nl reported. http://www.ed.nl/regio/9726443/Zwaargewonde-EODer-door-explosief-flitspaal.ece

(Ban the Cams note:  We hope for a speedy recovery to the officer.  This is why YOU SHOULD NOT USE EXPLOSIVES, or GUNS.  Innocent people can be hurt!  PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!)

Barnet Fagel of "The Ticket Doctor" on Radio show over Chicago Speed Scamera proposal.

http://www.wlsam.com/Article.asp?id=2321093&spid=16521

Barnet The Ticket Dr. joins Roe & Roeper
Download this show  http://www.wlsam.com/getpodcast.aspx?sid=16521&lid=5149&id=2321093&source=2&url=http://citadelcc.vo.llnwd.net/o29/stations/CHICAGO/WLS_AM/Roe_Roeper/TicketDr102711.mp3

Listen: 
javascript:MM_openBrWindow('/getpodcast.aspx?sid=16521&lid=5149&id=2321093&source=2&url=http://citadelcc.vo.llnwd.net/o29/stations/CHICAGO/WLS_AM/Roe_Roeper/TicketDr102711.mp3 &player=yes','player','width=760,height=395')

The Illinois Senate voted in favor of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's measure that would allow Chicago to start using cameras to ticket speeders in so-called safety zones. Barnet "The Ticket Dr." joins The Roe Conn Show with Richard Roeper to discuss this story.

(BAN THE CAMS NOTE:  THIS IS A MUST HEAR INTERVIEW!  YOU WILL ENJOY THIS!  EVEN ANTI CAMERA SEN. DUFFY shows up on the show!  http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/29/2963.asp)

http://warondriving.com/post/11964465484/miami-az-redflex

Over Before It Starts: Redflex Kicked Out of Small AZ Mining Town

 
Miami, AZ is a far cry from the city in South Florida that shares its name with.
 
Not very many folks pass through the town, unless they’re making a pit stop on their way from Phoenix to cooler destinations in Arizona.
 
They looked like an easy target to Redflex Traffic Systems, who probably thought they’d just need to convince a Barney Fife type that their cameras somehow save lives, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
 
No such luck was had by Redflex and their lobbyist Darren Kolack.
 
Kolack and his slickster tactics were rooted out by Miami resident Elvin Fant, who did his homework about Redflex and their scandals.
 
Fant was also able to spread the word around about the failures of this company while collecting more that 700 signatures from citizens of Miami against installation of red light cameras.
 
In Miami’s newspaper, The Arizona Silver Belt (http://www.silverbelt.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=3081), he was quoted as saying:
 

Kolack is a salesman for the company who has been in front of a lot of city councils. All of those city councils, at least a large percentage of them, are regretting letting Redflex in, Fant said.

 He added that the town will not make money off of Redflex. It’s going to cost us money, he stated. Please, please don’t get us involved in this thing.
 
After heeding Fant’s words, Miami’s town council voted unanimously to reject Redflex Traffic Systems and their money making scheme.
 
Mr. Fant, your town owes you a debt of gratitude.

http://warondriving.com/post/11867699852/chicago-speed-cameras

Illinois Speed Camera Bill Has No Limits

Rahm Emanuel’s speed camera bill, also known as HB-3851 in the Illinois Legislature has no threshold for speed written into it. (HB-3851)  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?roi=echo3-10169833555-6947717-307fd9c85b34fa1c4effd3c3fb19e2d6&DocNum=3851&GAID=11&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=62240&SessionID=84&GA=97
 
What this means is that a “violation” of just 1 MPH over the speed limit could end up costing Chicago motorists $100.00.
 
Redflex, who would be the contractor for the speed cameras in Chicago and all over Illinois, for that matter, is notorious for ticketing drivers http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/coffers-boosted-475-every-minute/story-fn7x8me2-1226116990407 in their home country of Australia for going less than 6 MPH (10 kilometers/hr).
 
Not only is the bill loosely worded enough for such low margins for “speeding,” but it leaves it up for each individual city to decide. Chicago is already known for their illegally short yellow light times, http://archive.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/03/yellow-lights-shorter-at-chicago-red-light-camera-intersections.html so would they really be able to resist having the lowest speed tolerance in the U.S.?
 
Are you ready for photo tickets for driving 46 in a 45 zone?
 

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/usa/IL/Cook/?utm_source=Chicago+Ban+the+Cams&utm_campaign=5db2618f44-November_Meeting11_11_2010&utm_medium=email

Chicago Ban the Cams UPDATE:
October 24th, 2011

Mayor Rahm Emanuel Doubling Down on Red Light Cams!!!

Recent media reports indicate Mayor Emanuel is asking Michael Madigan to change the law in Illinois to allow Chicago to use it's extensive network of Red Light Cameras throughout the city to issue SPEEDING TICKETS!!!
*** Proposed Speed Camera Enforcement Could Generate Millions For Cash Strapped Chicago ~ The Expired Meter  http://theexpiredmeter.com/2011/10/proposed-speed-camera-enforcement-could-generate-millions-for-cash-strapped-chicago/?utm_source=Chicago+Ban+the+Cams&utm_campaign=5db2618f44-November_Meeting11_11_2010&utm_medium=email
*** Emanuel wants to use red-light cameras, vans to catch speeders ~ Chicago Sun Times  http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/8323129-418/mayor-rahm-emanuel-wants-to-use-red-light-cameras-vans-to-catch-speeders.html?utm_source=Chicago+Ban+the+Cams&utm_campaign=5db2618f44-November_Meeting11_11_2010&utm_medium=email
*** Emanuel wants to point cameras at speeders ~ Chicago Tribune  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-emanuel-wants-to-point-cameras-at-speeders-20111019,0,1100936.story?utm_source=Chicago+Ban+the+Cams&utm_campaign=5db2618f44-November_Meeting11_11_2010&utm_medium=email

THIS IS ABOUT REVENUE FOR THE CITY AND PROFITS FOR REDFLEX, NOT ABOUT SAFETY!!!

TAKE ACTION TODAY:
1) Click here to find contact information for your State Representative and State Senator.  http://www.congress.org/congressorg/state/main/?roi=echo3-10169834376-6947718-2d665f796a5bfaab63fdc90f9ce7b7d9&lvl=L&state=IL&view=myofficials&utm_source=Chicago+Ban+the+Cams&utm_campaign=5db2618f44-November_Meeting11_11_2010&utm_medium=email#1
2) Contact Your State Rep and State Senator and thank them for their service 
3) Demand that they vote against HB 385!!!
________________________________________

Urgent Call to action from Illinois Campaing for Liberty!!!

They're back, and they want to squeeze every penny out of you they can.

The Illinois Fall Veto Session is set for October 25, 26, and 27 and November 8, 9, and 10.

While the intent of the Fall Veto Session is to override vetoes of bills that occurred over the summer, the legislature sometimes attempts to pass new legislation when most of their constituents aren't looking.

This year we have much to be concerned about.

Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) Systems are coming to an intersection near you--unless you take action to stop it.

The scheme is the brainchild of Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Chicago. Emanuel is desperate to fund his outrageous budget, and he has enlisted Speaker Madigan to carry out his egregious plan.

Speaker Madigan has introduced HB 385, which will permit ASE's in designated "safety zones."  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?roi=echo3-10169834376-6947717-8030ddc464006d30941cc2c153714eb1&DocNum=3851&GAID=11&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=62240&SessionID=84&GA=97

Automated Speed Enforcement Systems, much like Red Light Cameras, are an effective means for local governments to raise money to fund their out-of-control spending.

Attachments:

File	Description
Chicagobanthecams.com protest 10.25.2011.pdf

Read more: Chicago Ban the Cams UPDATE: Mayor Rahm Emanuel Doubling Down on Red Light Cams!!!

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/36/3619.asp

Poland: Speed Camera Lens Painted Yellow
Vigilantes disable speed camera in Poland with spraypaint.

In the Warmia-Masuria Province of Poland, vigilantes sprayed yellow paint over the lens of a speed camera. The attack disabled the device on national road 51 in Olsztyn, Gazeta Olsztynska reported.  http://dobremiasto.wm.pl/73597,Czy-ten-radar-moze-klamac.html

Ban the Cams note another article on the subject see http://warondriving.com/post/11736576172/rahm-emanuel-wants-speed-cameras-in-chicago

http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/8325912-522/when-government-leaders-pick-at-taxpayers-bones.html
 

Phil Kadner: When government leaders pick at taxpayers’ bones
 
Phil Kadner This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | (708) 633-6787 October 20, 2011 7:34PM

Updated: October 21, 2011 10:34AM

They’re nickel-and-diming us to death.

It’s an old expression but describes what public officials are doing to the people they are supposed to represent.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama’s former chief of staff, doesn’t seem to see the Occupy Wall Street protestors. He obviously thinks the Tea Party folks are a group of conservative kooks.

But both of those factions represent a growing discontent with a government that seems totally out of touch with the people.

Emanuel this week revealed that he’s thinking of using red-light cameras to issue tickets to motorists who speed through school zones.

I’ve fielded enough calls from angry motorists to know that red-light cameras are fueling peoples’ rebellion against Big Brother.

To appeal a ticket from a red light camera, you’ve got to appear before an administrative judge. That’s a judge who works for the municipality that’s obtaining revenue from red-light camera tickets.

It doesn’t matter if these “judges” are fair, there’s an appearance that they are merely in the business of making money for the town.

Sure, people can appeal those decisions to a real traffic court judge, but most folks can’t take two days off of work (one for the municipal court, another for the traffic court) and the fines increase dramatically if a person loses in traffic court.

If Chicago launches this red-light project, you know other cities will soon follow. And eventually it will spread beyond school zones, all in the name of making our streets safer.

It has nothing to do with raising revenue for struggling governments, the elected officials will say. Does anyone believe them?

Government rapidly is losing the trust of the people it serves.

I’ve been a longtime advocate of paying taxes for government services.

But in this economy, it is difficult to make that argument when government leaders seem intent on squeezing every dime out of taxpayers without making real cuts to government spending.

Read more: Phil Kadner: When government leaders pick at taxpayers’ bones

(link from CameraFraud).
 
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Hidden-Camera-Snagging-Northwest-DC-Speeders-132210268.html
 

Hidden Camera Snagging Northwest D.C. Speeders
Tree keeps camera from view
By Derrick Ward
|  Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011  |  Updated 9:54 PM EDT

 
Derrick Ward

Speed cameras are common in D.C., but one in particular is causing a stir among drivers.

Positioned next to a tree on Missouri Avenue in Northwest, the camera is hidden from approaching drivers on a stretch of road is notorious for speeding and accidents.

In some cases, speed cameras are accompanied by warning signs, but a spokesperson for the police department was unaware of a legal obligation to post such signs. A complete list of photo enforcement locations is available on the police department website.

The hidden camera looks like a revenue generator to some who spoke to News4. Others said that if you obey the speed limit, speed cameras are a non-issue.

Ban the Cams note:  The problem with that "claim" of "obey" and you have nothing to "worry about" is a LIE.

Two Examples (I even left this personally on the article for fun).

1.  AU police citing for 1 km/h.  http://www.banthecams.org/Speed-Camera-News/how-the-scam-really-works-long-term-scamera-citing-for-as-low-as-1-kmh-that-is-under-1-mph-folks.html

2.  Spanish police now citing for driving UNDER the speed limit!  http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/35/3523.asp  Quote:  Valencia, Spain tickets motorist for driving too slowly past a speed camera

HOW THE SCAM REALLY WORKS LONG TERM:  SCAMERA CITING FOR AS LOW AS 1 km/h (that is UNDER 1 MPH FOLKS)

CameraFraud National made this great comment on it:

Half of all scamera tickets in NSW, Australia given for driving 0-6 MPH over the speed limit. This is important -- scameras are always introduced as "saving children" in school zones. Eventually, they just loot the public for driving perfectly safe speeds.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-17/mobile-cameras-target-low-range-speeding/3575038?section=nsw

Mobile cameras target low-range speeding
Posted October 17, 2011 12:41:42

The New South Wales Government has defended its mobile speed cameras, after revelations motorists are being booked for exceeding the speed limit by as little as one kilometre an hour.

The Office of State Revenue says just over half the fines issues in the cameras' first year of operation were for speeds between one and 10 kilometres an hour over the limit.

Roads Minister Duncan Gay says the speed camera operators do not have the same discretion as police to ignore minor infringements.

"It's the thing that these are independent contractors. They're not law enforcement officers so they don't have the leeway that some police officers would have an ability to use," Mr Gay said.

The Minister says improved signage should provide plenty of warning for drivers to avoid fines.

Speed Scamera Destruction Week ending 10/16/2011

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/36/3613.asp

France, Germany, Italy, UAE, UK: Speed Cameras Burn, Blocked, Broken
Vigilantes destroy and disable speed cameras throughout the world in the past few weeks.

Vigilantes in Bournemouth, England disabled a pair of speed cameras, the Bournemouth Echo http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/districts/bournemouth/9306390.Vandals_tamper_with_second_speed_camera/ reported. At Monday before 4am the automated ticketing machine on the A338 Wessex Way was set on fire with a burning tire. Later in the week, a beer can and a fistful of leaves were used to blind the camera on Wimborne Road. Local officials rushed to clear the debris so that the device could once again issue tickets. Police have no idea who might be responsible.

In the United Arab Emirates on October 9, vigilantes opened fire on three speed cameras in Umm al-Quwain. The northern emirate has a total of 33 fixed cameras and 4 photo radar vans. According to The National http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/speed-radars-shot-in-umm-al-qaiwain, the devices on Al Ittihad Road were damaged by the gunfire.

Between Wednesday, October 5, and Sunday, October 9, a set of four speed cameras were set on fire in Hautes-Alpes, France. The devices were about twelve miles apart from one another along the RN94 in Reotier, Embrun, Saint-Clement sur Durance and La Rochette. All four devices were destroyed by burning tires, Le Dauphine http://www.ledauphine.com/hautes-alpes/2011/10/09/un-quatrieme-radar-incendie-sur-la-rn-94 reported.

In Forli, Italy on Thursday, vigilantes smeared material on a speed camera rendering it incapable of issuing citations. The same device in Villa Rovere had been attacked just days earlier, Il Resto del Carlino reported. http://www.ilrestodelcarlino.it/forli/cronaca/2011/10/13/599909-vandali_dell_autovelox_tornano_azione.shtml

Police in Oberhausen, Germany reported that a speed camera failed to prevent an accident that destroyed it on Wednesday at midnight. A 42-year-old drunk driver plowed into the automated ticketing machine at the Konrad-Adenauer-Allee.
 

Bluff City faces $6 million class-action lawsuit over speed camera enforcement program
By Associated Press

Published October 15th, 2011 9:46 am
 

An Upper East Tennessee town's already troubled traffic camera enforcement program has hit another speed bump — a federal proposed class-action lawsuit.

Attorney Dan Stanley has filed on behalf of motorists Chris Cawood and Jonathan Kelly Proffitt a $6 million proposed class-action lawsuit against Bluff City and its mayor, Irene Wells, and the Arizona-based traffic camera firm American Traffic Solutions Inc. Cawood is a Kingston attorney.

The lawsuit alleges the city and the firm are conspiring to violate the Fair Debt Collections Act, state law and the city's own ordinances by imposing an administrative fee of $40 on top of the $50 fine imposed for motorists allegedly captured on the city's two speed enforcement cameras on Highway 11E. The plaintiffs further allege the city and firm are "threatening criminal prosecution for contempt of court and suspension of driver's licenses" if the fees and fines aren't paid.

The action also alleges the city created a "speed trap" on the section of Highway 11E under enforcement by the city's cameras by dropping the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph less than a mile from where the cameras are posted.

The city's traffic enforcement program was already embroiled in controversy in two separate instances involving a new law that took effect in July and imposes limitations on red light and speed camera enforcement programs.

In the first incident, the Bluff City Police Department fired an officer who allowed a reserve officer to review and approve hundreds of tickets after the law took effect. The law requires potential violations captured on camera to be reviewed and approved by an officer who is certified under the state's Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission.

The city estimated it would have to refund some $12,000 in collections as a result.

The second incident came when the city was hit with complaints, similar to those in the lawsuit, that one of its two cameras was positioned less than a mile from a sign that signaled a drop in the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph. The new state law bars the placement of speed cameras within a mile of any 10-mph drop in the speed limit.

City officials have said they believed their program was grandfathered, giving them until 2015 — when the contract with American Traffic Solutions expires — to make the change. However, an August state Attorney General's opinion opined that no such grandfather provision was included in the new law.

Bluff City last month shut down the offending camera and began the process of tallying refunds. Records showed that more than 1,300 tickets had been issued by that camera, which monitors the southbound side of the section of Highway 11E. Of those, 640 had already been paid.

The lawsuit alleges Bluff City dropped the speed on the section of Highway 11E that is subject to the speed camera enforcement program without performing "an engineering and traffic investigation pursuant to statute and, therefore, was negligent in assessing the need for (a) speed reduction on Highway 11E. Such reduction was much lower than required, thus creating a 'speed trap.'"

Bluff City and American Traffic Solutions have until Oct. 27 to file a formal response to the lawsuit. Neither attorney J. Paul Frye, who represents Bluff City, and attorney C. Crews Townsend, who represents American Traffic Solutions, responded to requests for comment Thursday.
 

Thanks to CameraFraud for the link!

http://shanghaiist.com/2011/10/13/photos_chinese_use_maxipads_chicken.php#photo-1

Photos: Chinese use Maxipads, dead ducks to skirt traffic cameras

One small step for panty liners, one giant leap for womankind.

Those who say "Chinese innovation is dead" obviously aren't looking in the right places. In this collection of photos it's clear to see just how creative people are willing to get when faced with the prospect of getting caught by speed cameras.

While the hi-tech gadgets get a hat-tip from us for preparedness and James Bondesque style, the real winners of the show are the people who made do with the few materials available to them -- MacGuyvering their way out of 200RMB traffic fines one sanitary napkin at a time.

So here's to you, Maxipad-wielding BMW driver. We're not sure if your trunk is full of these adhesive wonders in hopes the comedic factor will discourage any investigation, or if you had a stroke of brilliance while running late to work, but may your days ahead be filled with extra-absorbancy-goodness.

(more pictures on Read More link!)

Read more: Duck, it isn't just for dinner anymore! Chinese use Maxipads, dead ducks to skirt traffic cameras

London Scamera Count:  744  (Excluding RLC).

http://www.freedomfordrivers.org/ABD_London_News028.pdf  page 3. 

 Speed Camera Count in London

The Government has asked local authorities to publish data on the usage and effectiveness of speed cameras. In response to a question on when we might see this data in London, I have been advised they will be published by the London Safety Camera Partnership (LSCP) in November – on their web site. 

In the meantime, they have actually published the numbers of speed  cameras. See www.lscp.org.uk/cameralocations.html for the details, but in summary these are the numbers: 

Total cameras (directions) = 744

That excludes red light cameras.

We will try and report this figure on a regular basis so that you can see whether it is going up or down. At present it’s probably still going up.