Texas DOT could institute SPECS-style speed cameras

Just as soon as we finished cheering for the Texas Legislature's stance on those pesky speed cameras, the state's Department of Transportation is apparently trying to override their good will. According to a June 10th filing, the Texas DOT is looking to install "turnkey automated speed notification services" on Highway 10 in Hudspeth County and Highway 6 near College Station (watch those lead feet, Aggies). Reportedly, this project is simply to "assess and evaluate all elements" of such a system, but it doesn't take a genius to guess that money's on the brain. Notably, the "quality assurance" section of the plan points out that these suckers will be accurate to within two miles-per-hour in either direction, so your wiggle room is sliced dramatically. Of course, we can all hope that Texas' iteration of the SPECS-style camera is as easy to circumvent as those in Britain.

[Via FARK]

[7of7 @ Jun 13th 2007 2:13PM]

If you break the law, you should be punished. As is police allow far too many people to get away with things like speeding and reckless driving. If there were a system that increased the likelihood of punishment for those offense I'd be all for it. Whether or not current speed cameras are that system is to be debated.

[Chris @ Jun 13th 2007 2:47PM]

Will they also be ticketing those that are going too slow, swerving, driving erratically, not using their turn signal, turning from the wrong lane? NO! They will only be going after those exceeding the speed limit, without regard for what is going on around them.

This is why we should only allow capable, reasoning humans to give other humans tickets.

[7of7 @ Jun 13th 2007 2:57PM]

I should hope they would be ticketing those other activities if they are illegal, but the only one which is really possible to directly ticket by remote is speed violation. At least they can get that one. Better one than none and such.

[MC Squared @ Jun 13th 2007 2:21PM]

There's justice, and then there's profiteering. The police around College Station are notorious for maliciously going after speeders (think a ticket for 2mph over) and ignoring real issues, like violence against international students on Northgate. This is simply another in a long line of misappropriation of public funds.

Hands together, wave over right shoulder, and HISSSSSSSSSSSSS (traditional Aggie jeer).

[JerryWFranklin @ Jun 13th 2007 2:29PM]

I'm in Texas; I have Aggies in my family.
I echo the previous comment:
HISSSSSSSS!

www.JerryWFranklin.com
www.MarketingSoftwareTools.com

[fred @ Jun 13th 2007 2:33PM]

7of7, That's all well and good in theory, but I personally don't want to live in a society where I'm observed in all aspects of my life, just in case I do something wrong. And honestly, theres breaking the law (speeding), and BREAKING THE LAW (murder). How much of money should go into catching speeders? I can't stand when a police force is generating revenue for their city by writing tickets. IF any of you wonderful people out there know where Oro Valley, AZ you'll know what I mean. Speeders keep that town alive. I think that as citizens we need to speak out against this before we turn into the UK, which is a wonderful country, but boy do they like their cameras! I'm not advocating destruction of property of any kind, but I would imagine if a few cameras got disappeared it would get the point across.

[7of7 @ Jun 13th 2007 3:03PM]

The problem is that reckless driving and murder are a thin line apart. You wouldn't want someone twirling a loaded gun with no safety around in a shopping mall. If they can better punish reckless driving then I'm all for it. The allegations of gouging or whatever are worth investigating but don't detract from the ultimate idea of punishing people for breaking laws. HL Mencken said "Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody may be looking." If people are afraid they will be caught driving dangerously they're less likely to plow into the side of a bus and kill 15 people.

[P @ Jun 13th 2007 2:44PM]

Aggies aren't smart enough to change lanes.

[MC Squared @ Jun 13th 2007 2:57PM]

They're just smart enough to graduate from school after a successful NCAA career. (COUGH, Vince Young, Kevin Durant)

[michael @ Jun 13th 2007 2:45PM]

Guys, it's not 'Texas DOT'. It's TxDOT. Sorry, it's just sounds better like TxDOT the way we call them down here.

I would know because my aunt used to work on the IT department there.

[Colin B @ Jun 13th 2007 2:52PM]

"Aggies aren't smart enough to change lanes."

Thanks for the gratuitous Aggie insult. Guess you didn't notice that an Aggie just finished a run on Jeopardy winning over $67,000...but then I'm sure you could do that, right? Plus, what does this article have to do with changing lanes? Are you saying that changing lanes foils the system? Not likely.

[Chris @ Jun 13th 2007 2:53PM]

It did in the UK.

[P @ Jun 13th 2007 3:30PM]

And apparently not smart enough to click the links in the article either.

Thanks for proving my point.

[Colin B @ Jun 13th 2007 4:45PM]

My point was, no one would be retarded enough to install the same system after a failure like the one in Britain. Clearly such a loophole would be worked around. Also, the sections of Highway 6 near College Station they would put these on are 2-lane (one in each direction). Aggies are smart enough not to change lanes when they only have one.

[Chris @ Jun 13th 2007 2:52PM]

This really surprises me in a state not normally known for being a nanny state.

Now, California, that's a nanny state if I've ever seen one. I'm surprised this isn't being tested in there.

[Todd @ Jun 13th 2007 2:57PM]

They tried putting those freeway on-ramp traffic lights up, here in Texas, that only allow one car to enter at a time - all the lenses/bulbs were shot out of them in less than a month.

I do not expect any less for the new active speeding cameras.

http://imagescommerce.bcentral.com/merchantfiles/4853983/No%20Trespassing%20cg516.jpg

[pcfanboy @ Jun 13th 2007 3:20PM]

It's all about the Money. Our money grubbing Governor Ric Perry loves this kind of stuff. I live north of Dallas and the state just signed a contract to sell the rights to our tollway to a Spanish firm for around 3 billion, THEN when they realized they could get more they backed out and are taking other bids.

It is all about the MONEY and they keep dreaming of new ways to collect and spend it.

[Chew Chew Chew ME @ Jun 13th 2007 3:20PM]

NO NO NO!

The company pays for all the equipment and install etc. Doesn't cost the state anything. But the company get 50% of the fees collected from the fines!

So, seems like plenty of incentive for those cameras to be *SPECIALLY* CALIBRATED. Did I mention the drivers won't even have access to calibration records.

Enjoy PEEPS!

[Jason @ Jun 13th 2007 3:21PM]

It's too bad that the bill which bans speed cameras only applies to municipalities. TxDOT can do whatever they want to state and federal highways. There was no good will. TxDOT pushed that bill to keep municipalities from competing with them for the speed camera ticket money.

[aeo @ Jun 13th 2007 3:30PM]

Too bad catching actual criminals can't generate revenue somehow.

[Diddle @ Jun 13th 2007 3:31PM]

Traffic cameras / speed cameras just don't work in Canada (and it's probably up for the same in the US) in that we have the right to face our accuser in court. Go to court and the traffic camera certainly won't be there. Case dismissed.

[ed @ Jun 13th 2007 3:39PM]

Highway 6 going towards College Station is a death zone. Granted this is mainly because there is no median, so head-on collusions happen weekly. Nonetheless, people average 75-85 in a construction zone - where a couple of inches could mean life or death.

[Jenny @ Jun 13th 2007 6:14PM]

Unless they put those cameras every 100 feet, people will just slow down to the speed limit, go through them, then speed back up.

[John @ Jun 13th 2007 9:08PM]

Good god. We need a change of government in Texas, first this bullshit about the tollway in dallas (Which used to be a STATE HIGHWAY, paid for with tax dollars) now they want to put this crap up to get more cash?

Eh, whatever, my radar detector will go off, I'll slow down and go through, then I will speed the F back up, thank you.

To whoever it was comparing driving and murder... You have issues. Driving under the influence maybe, but not speeding. I would say going too slow can be just as dangerous, if not more dangerous on highways than speeding over the limit by 5-10mph

[catfish @ Jun 14th 2007 10:55AM]

And what rock do you live under in where people do not speed? Its speed limits that are the problem, not speeding. I do believe there was an article on here not too long ago about some town that, when instituting speed cameras, had all the da's REFUSING to prosecute anything below like 25 over, because there were physically too many cases.

You can't say speeding increases the risk because all the real world data thats ever been collected has been from speeding drivers, because EVERYONE (bar old people) speeds a comfortable 5-10 over, more on any kind of highway.

Theres nothing wrong with laws, and theres nothing wrong with a strict enforcement of those laws. There is a problem, however, when those laws do not meet reality. Its as if all the Blue Laws (and other obviously retarded laws) were enforced ruthlessly. Utterly rediculous.

[Doug @ Jun 14th 2007 12:25PM]

First - these types of cameras do make your average person slow down which does save lives AND makes the real speeders stand out of the crowd so they can be more easily nabbed by live police.
Second - when are they going to give up on radar or lidar based speed detection? All they have to do is watch your car at one intersection and time stamp it with a GPS clock, then time stamp you at another intersection. This is extremely accurate. If your time between intersections is shorter than the time it would take if you were driving the speed limit, you were speeding. End of story.