Speed camera

[NWICY]

Flock cameras are the next big thing...

Flock Safety, based out of Atlanta, Georgia, is a company that provides LPR technology to public and private entities throughout the country. Flock is currently being utilized by at least 16 Iowa law enforcement agencies. These agencies are West Des Moines PD, University of Iowa PD, Council Bluffs PD, Altoona PD, Clive PD, Ankeny PD, Marshalltown PD, Urbandale PD, Waukee PD, Glenwood PD, Camanche PD, Clinton PD, Polk County Conservation, Indianola PD, Johnston PD and Carter Lake PD. There are many additional commercial and private companies using Flock in Iowa.

You may know that there are license plate readers set up all around most cities, but these Flock cameras are different. They are special because of what they record, combined with the software that they use. The camera takes pictures of the back of each car that drives by them, both night and day. Why is that important? Because the Flock software is able to catalogue not only the license plate, but also the make and model of the car and the color. It can also note distinguishing characteristics like bumper stickers or roof racks. And this information can be shared nationally through a nationwide database that is updated multiple times a day.

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So are these stationary or can they also be vehicle mounted? The reason I asked was I noticed Polk Co. Conservation is using it.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Flock cameras are the next big thing...

Flock Safety, based out of Atlanta, Georgia, is a company that provides LPR technology to public and private entities throughout the country. Flock is currently being utilized by at least 16 Iowa law enforcement agencies. These agencies are West Des Moines PD, University of Iowa PD, Council Bluffs PD, Altoona PD, Clive PD, Ankeny PD, Marshalltown PD, Urbandale PD, Waukee PD, Glenwood PD, Camanche PD, Clinton PD, Polk County Conservation, Indianola PD, Johnston PD and Carter Lake PD. There are many additional commercial and private companies using Flock in Iowa.

You may know that there are license plate readers set up all around most cities, but these Flock cameras are different. They are special because of what they record, combined with the software that they use. The camera takes pictures of the back of each car that drives by them, both night and day. Why is that important? Because the Flock software is able to catalogue not only the license plate, but also the make and model of the car and the color. It can also note distinguishing characteristics like bumper stickers or roof racks. And this information can be shared nationally through a nationwide database that is updated multiple times a day.

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I hate it so ******* much. I'd rather live in anarchy than total surveillance.

 

[AlCyJim]

Yes, all people have to do is STOP SPEEDING.

I know where I live they are thinking about putting them in, because on the main 4 lane, they cant get people to slow down, they added electronic speed signs. They use the plane, local, county and state patrol it constantly, yet people still want to go 20mph over the limit.

So the city is looking at putting in cameras in multiple spots, because no one will slow down.

Im not saying oops' never happen, we all know we can accidentally not realize we are going too fast on once in a while, but when this is a regular occurance it is not an accident.

would people be this upset if they were stopped by a policeman?

 

[dmclone]

would people be this upset if they were stopped by a policeman?

The only time I remember people on CF being upset with police writing tickets was in Windsor Heights, where they would write tickets for 2mph over the speed limit. I also don't see a lot of people complaining about red light cameras.

 

[Cyclonepride]

would people be this upset if they were stopped by a policeman?

No. For me, it's really the automated surveillance and automated fines and the principles against it.

In a world where there are tens of thousands of laws on the books (many of them really only regulations that were never democratically enacted, and many of them capricious), do we really want to live in a place where every single trespass against the king's code is monitored and punished automatically? I don't.

 

[cy4life94]

Yeah I know when Strawberry Point put them up, a big reason was during the study they did before hand. In a 24 hr period, there were at least 30 cars who were traveling at 15+mph over the speed limit of 35mph where they have the cameras set up at. They have one full time officer last I knew for the town.

I think there are actually three full time cops now in a town of ~1200 which is a bit excessive. The issues is where the cameras are set up, there is almost no pedestrian traffic and I have not heard of a single accident in these locations before the cameras. If they set these up closer to the middle of town where pedestrians actually walk and there are other cars pulling out of businesses more frequently then I think they would make more sense. Now there would be significantly less people going 40 through a 25 in the middle of town so it really wouldn’t help with the bottom line.

 

[Clone1992]

Damn it name the town, give us a chance to avoid them.

It's Charles City. Right after they installed the cameras and they were in the initial process of using/testing them they had grace period were they would send out warnings (no fine) for vehicles photographed at 10 or more mph over the posted speed limit. I got three of them in the mail in one day and all three of them were from the same camera in a 30 mph zone which caught my rear license plate as I was accelerating as I was transitioning from the 30 mph zone to the 45 mph zone as I was LEAVING town. All three of them clocked me in the 40-43 mph range and they were all taken as I was like 100 yards short of the 45 mph sign, and again, as I was accelerating LEAVING town. Luckily this was still during the test period so I didn't get fined at all, but if those violations would have happened two weeks later then I would have been ticketed for all of them.

 

[KidSilverhair]

- Traffic cameras have their place, I think, particularly red-light cameras

- (Although I hear in some places red-light cameras are tagging drivers who don’t actually come to a complete dead stop before turning right; technically a violation but that should be situational)

- Speed cameras are a bit dicier in my opinion

- The I-380 speed cameras in Cedar Rapids have had a definite positive effect on traffic going through the S-curve

- Anybody going 12 mph over through the S-curve deserves to get ticketed

- Small-town speed cameras may have a place, but hearing stories about their placement makes it clear many times they are designed to maximize revenue instead of actually have an effect on safety

- The fact these tickets are privately administered - and a private company ends up profiting from running the system - is definitely a strike against speed cameras

- On the other hand, the fact they’re privately administered also means there are zero consequences for throwing the tickets in the trash and not paying them

So, I’m conflicted about them in general. I like that they seem to be actually helping safety in CR; I don’t like that they’re run by Gatso or whoever as the city government privatizes that element of law enforcement; I also don’t like that many towns see these cameras as free revenue instead of as a traffic safety control device.

I‘ve never ended up with a speed camera ticket, driving through them on 380 dozens of times every week. It’s not hard to keep it under 67 going through there (I just try to stay around 60 and know I’m good to go). My wife has gotten a couple of red light camera tickets, but when you see the video link they send along with the ticket it’s very clear they were legit.

 

[Cyclonepride]

- Traffic cameras have their place, I think, particularly red-light cameras

- (Although I hear in some places red-light cameras are tagging drivers who don’t actually come to a complete dead stop before turning right; technically a violation but that should be situational)

- Speed cameras are a bit dicier in my opinion

- The I-380 speed cameras in Cedar Rapids have had a definite positive effect on traffic going through the S-curve

- Anybody going 12 mph over through the S-curve deserves to get ticketed

- Small-town speed cameras may have a place, but hearing stories about their placement makes it clear many times they are designed to maximize revenue instead of actually have an effect on safety

- The fact these tickets are privately administered - and a private company ends up profiting from running the system - is definitely a strike against speed cameras

- On the other hand, the fact they’re privately administered also means there are zero consequences for throwing the tickets in the trash and not paying them

So, I’m conflicted about them in general. I like that they seem to be actually helping safety in CR; I don’t like that they’re run by Gatso or whoever as the city government privatizes that element of law enforcement; I also don’t like that many towns see these cameras as free revenue instead of as a traffic safety control device.

I‘ve never ended up with a speed camera ticket, driving through them on 380 dozens of times every week. It’s not hard to keep it under 67 going through there (I just try to stay around 60 and know I’m good to go). My wife has gotten a couple of red light camera tickets, but when you see the video link they send along with the ticket it’s very clear they were legit.

Regarding red light cameras, if your concern is people running red lights and safety, you could make it way safer simply by increasing the lag time between red and green (all directions red for a couple extra beats).

 

[madguy30]

Regarding red light cameras, if your concern is people running red lights and safety, you could make it way safer simply by increasing the lag time between red and green (all directions red for a couple extra beats).

I will be on board forever with putting as many roundabouts in as possible/feasible to take care of traffic light issues.

 

[cedarstrip]

Prairie City put them in to protect the kids, but not a lot of kids out there on 163, but sure are a lot of people traveling back and forth to Des Moines from the Southeast.
Bloomfield nails people on highway 2 where the speed limit drops down to 40 at the intersection of 63 and 2. Lot of out of staters make the paper every week for speeding in that area. What Cheer used to have police right at the bottom of the hill as you came into town from the South. Nailed you right at the city limit as you had gained speed coming down the hill.

Prairie City put the camera on the highway where no PC residents will ever drive....

 

[alarson]

I will be on board forever with putting as many roundabouts in as possible/feasible to take care of traffic light issues.

So long as they are well-designed.

I like a good roundabout conversion, but many of them are designed poorly.

 

[AlCyJim]

Regarding red light cameras, if your concern is people running red lights and safety, you could make it way safer simply by increasing the lag time between red and green (all directions red for a couple extra beats).

and I have seen people run a solid red light while my light is green. You can tell when light turns yellow as the speed picks upto get thru the light. heaven forbid a person has to wait 30seconds

 

[Clonehomer]

So long as they are well-designed.

I like a good roundabout conversion, but many of them are designed poorly.

Completely agree. Curbs should be installed to maintain lane integrity. If the sign says to be in the right lane to go straight, be in the right lane to start people.

 

[AlCyJim]

Completely agree. Curbs should be installed to maintain lane integrity. If the sign says to be in the right lane to go straight, be in the right lane to start people.

dont make it too simple for people.

 

[bozclone]

The town of LeClair, Iowa sucks. When my Dad was in hospice, I traveled from Indiana to Iowa. Unknowingly, I picked up a speeding ticket as I entered Iowa on I-80 near LeClair. After my Dad's funeral, I unknowingly picked up a second speeding ticket returning home. The first ticket didn't arrive at my house before I got the second. Why the town of LeClair is allowed to have a traffic camera on the interstate is crazy to me. It is clearly a money grab. I made probably 30 trips back and forth through there over the last year seeing my Dad. I am surprised it took that long for me to get a ticket.

 

[Clonehomer]

The town of LeClair, Iowa sucks. When my Dad was in hospice, I traveled from Indiana to Iowa. Unknowingly, I picked up a speeding ticket as I entered Iowa on I-80 near LeClair. After my Dad's funeral, I unknowingly picked up a second speeding ticket returning home. The first ticket didn't arrive at my house before I got the second. Why the town of LeClair is allowed to have a traffic camera on the interstate is crazy to me. It is clearly a money grab. I made probably 30 trips back and forth through there over the last year seeing my Dad. I am surprised it took that long for me to get a ticket.

This is the only argument against cameras IMO. To be able to rack up multiple violations before you are notified of the first violation is a problem. They need to have some sort of instant notification of the violation. Maybe some sort of light or message screen.

 

[madguy30]

So long as they are well-designed.

I like a good roundabout conversion, but many of them are designed poorly.

They're usually fine.

The public is not very well informed on how to use them, or their advantages, and many refuse to learn because they'd rather sit in traffic.

 

[2speedy1]

It's Charles City. Right after they installed the cameras and they were in the initial process of using/testing them they had grace period were they would send out warnings (no fine) for vehicles photographed at 10 or more mph over the posted speed limit. I got three of them in the mail in one day and all three of them were from the same camera in a 30 mph zone which caught my rear license plate as I was accelerating as I was transitioning from the 30 mph zone to the 45 mph zone as I was LEAVING town. All three of them clocked me in the 40-43 mph range and they were all taken as I was like 100 yards short of the 45 mph sign, and again, as I was accelerating LEAVING town. Luckily this was still during the test period so I didn't get fined at all, but if those violations would have happened two weeks later then I would have been ticketed for all of them.

Here is the problem with what you say here.

1. New law is going to greatly affect those cameras. From what I read CC will only be able to issue warnings from now on, being the town is less than 20K. And will only be able to for more than 10 over.
2. You frankly admit that you were speeding. It doesnt matter if you are 100 inches or a 100 miles before an increase in speed sign. You admitted you were going 40-43 mph in a 30Mph, BEFORE the 45MPH sign. Sorry but drivers ed taught me that you have to be at or below the speed reduction, BEFORE the sign, and you cannot increase until AFTER the sign.

I get that people hate tickets, but when you are in the wrong you are in the wrong, complain when you get a ticket for something you DIDNT do. I also get the hate for Big Brother, but again there are cameras everywhere, stop breaking the law. You agreed to follow traffic laws when you got your license.

At least with the new regulations there will be some protections in place for people, and hopefully prevent rampant abuse. None of which will help you going 13MPH over the speed limit, in an area that is allowed to have cameras with the new law, regardless if you were "almost" to the increase or not.

 

[Clone1992]

Here is the problem with what you say here.

1. New law is going to greatly affect those cameras. From what I read CC will only be able to issue warnings from now on, being the town is less than 20K. And will only be able to for more than 10 over.
2. You frankly admit that you were speeding. It doesnt matter if you are 100 inches or a 100 miles before an increase in speed sign. You admitted you were going 40-43 mph in a 30Mph, BEFORE the 45MPH sign. Sorry but drivers ed taught me that you have to be at or below the speed reduction, BEFORE the sign, and you cannot increase until AFTER the sign.

I get that people hate tickets, but when you are in the wrong you are in the wrong, complain when you get a ticket for something you DIDNT do. I also get the hate for Big Brother, but again there are cameras everywhere, stop breaking the law. You agreed to follow traffic laws when you got your license.

At least with the new regulations there will be some protections in place for people, and hopefully prevent rampant abuse. None of which will help you going 13MPH over the speed limit, in an area that is allowed to have cameras with the new law, regardless if you were "almost" to the increase or not.

Ok grandma