So I find this interesting; and, I'm glad they provided at least this statistic:
Vehicle crashes near cameras declined 3.9%
Crashes with injuries near cameras declined 13.4%
If that's the case, I'm pleased. That's a noticeable decline. I wonder what else could be done to safely reduce the number of crashes, while still allowing drivers the freedom to drive.
Another interesting piece:
Referring to 'The Busy Crossing', "This is the kind of location one might expect for a speed camera. They target busy crossings near some of the city's most dangerous boulevards. These cameras are more common than the "speed traps" but they issue far fewer tickets."
I imagine knowing that there is a speed camera near a given light reduces the amount of people willing to test that. When it comes to traffic lights and busy crossings, I think this is a good thing; and not having very many tickets there should by no means be indicative of the systems failing. In fact, I would argue they might be working. You'd have to do a blind test of some sort with unmarked cameras (that don't give out tickets either) at other locations; but ... that's most likely illegal. (IANAL)
And then regarding this:
"Almost half of the city's speed cameras are mobile — mounted on NYPD vehicles, they watch different spots for a day or two. Officials won't say how those spots are picked, though school principals and community groups can make requests. The mobile cameras each issue just a few tickets a day; as a group they issue only 11.5% of all tickets."
That's to be expected. It's a camera mounted to a police vehicle. People tend to act more civil on the road and more accurate to the rules when there's a police officer around.
Personally, I'd love to find out the statistics around red-light cameras, as well. I imagine they might be even more useful in quelling negative activity (though they probably won't bring in as much money as speeding cameras)
Another interesting piece:
Referring to 'The Busy Crossing', "This is the kind of location one might expect for a speed camera. They target busy crossings near some of the city's most dangerous boulevards. These cameras are more common than the "speed traps" but they issue far fewer tickets."
I imagine knowing that there is a speed camera near a given light reduces the amount of people willing to test that. When it comes to traffic lights and busy crossings, I think this is a good thing; and not having very many tickets there should by no means be indicative of the systems failing. In fact, I would argue they might be working. You'd have to do a blind test of some sort with unmarked cameras (that don't give out tickets either) at other locations; but ... that's most likely illegal. (IANAL)
And then regarding this:
"Almost half of the city's speed cameras are mobile — mounted on NYPD vehicles, they watch different spots for a day or two. Officials won't say how those spots are picked, though school principals and community groups can make requests. The mobile cameras each issue just a few tickets a day; as a group they issue only 11.5% of all tickets."
That's to be expected. It's a camera mounted to a police vehicle. People tend to act more civil on the road and more accurate to the rules when there's a police officer around.
Personally, I'd love to find out the statistics around red-light cameras, as well. I imagine they might be even more useful in quelling negative activity (though they probably won't bring in as much money as speeding cameras)