Ravenwood - 06/14/05 06:45 AM
Effective July 1st, Virginia will be a traffic camera free zone. The law authorizing their use is expiring and was not renewed by the General Assembly. If the state of Illinois is any guide, that is beginning to look like a really good thing. Up in the liberal mid-west, they take their revenue generaton highway safety very seriously. Omnibus Driver reports:
Beginning in July the State of Illinois will use speed cameras in areas designated as "work zones" on major freeways. Anyone caught by the devices will be mailed a $375 ticket for the first offense, but a second ticket will cost $1000 and comes with a 90-day license suspension. Drivers will also receive demerit points against their license, which allows insurance companies to raise their insurance rates.I've noticed a trend whereby lawmakers are starting to increase point penalties as well as fines. While this is a moving violation which would warrant points, Virginia recently started charging points for HOV violations. If too many localities pile on the points, the whole point system will be so watered down that insurance companies will have no choice but to start ignoring them.
How have any of these camera systems accounted for the fact that the driver may not be the owner of the vehicle? Are they saying that it isn't so much the driver that is responsible for the driving, but rather simply the owner?
Man, I hate these cameras. Cleveland is in the process of installing them, purely in the interest of Public Safety, of course...
Posted by: roger at June 14, 2005 9:59 AMRe: the point system.
I'm a good driver. I have -5 points, which is the best driving record you can get in VA. I've had -5 points for a *long* time, and I hope to maintain that record.
Am I a goodie-two-shoes? Hardly. However, a car is a lethal weapon that, like all lethal weapons, must be used with care.
Posted by: Lornkanaga at June 14, 2005 10:05 AMOne of the things I like about states like GA and SC: no front plate, and thus traffic cameras are pretty much useless.
Posted by: Heartless Libertarian at June 14, 2005 2:51 PMFrom what I understand, pix are taken of driver's face, front license plate and rear license plate. And if they're using camera vans, there are probably live witnesses, too.
Funny. The way some people are squawking about this, you'd think the law had changed. In fact, it's simply being enforced more emphatically.
I'm not a fan of cameras at every intersection, but if you've seen traffic on Illinois highways before, you might understand where this specific target is coming from. Seems like the number of deaths related to highway construction traffic violations goes up every year here. It's not a bad incentive to get people to slow down.
Posted by: Omnibus Driver at June 14, 2005 3:40 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
