Typical argument for someone who's never lived in a place with speed cameras. The cameras themselves, sure, they're fine.

They start getting people going 10-over, but people adjust their habits accordingly, revenue drops, now they target people going 2 over.

Next they target people in school zones. All well and good. But we need to increase revenue. Parks are now school zones. Trails near the roads are now school zones. And now we're expanding the zone times from 6am-9pm. Love my 36 in a 30 along a 60 road at 2047pm ticket. GREAT.

Finally, after people get used to all the above they start messing with the limits themselves. 6 lane roads, down to 40... but not the entire thing. lets have a road that went through town from 110-90-60-90-110 turn into 110-50-90-60-70-30-40-70-50-90-60-90-110-50-110. in 8km, speed cameras at every reduction! [Calgary 16th ave] Miss a zone and you're screwed.

But that's not enough. We need to grow revenue. Lets have forward facing cameras implimented too, and take points. That way our friends in insurance can benefit too. They will even pay a bounty for each person caught.

The same goes for red lights - see the winnipeg 0.5second yellow light camera scandal.

They eliminated speed traps in Calgary Alberta fairly recently. The police service is in economic distress because of it. Loss of revenue per year 28 million.

I'm all for reducing speeds but these cameras are well known to be used to fund police departments with massive swat teams, public policing issues, military assault vehicles, automatic weapons and now things like facial recognition software and interception of communications. Is this really what we want as citizens, to become more authoritarian and funded by money grabs until we have a dictator like those to the south of us?

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/provinces-photo-radar-purge-leaves-calgary-police-with-28m-shortfall-taxes-may-need-to-rise-warns-councillor

Of all the fucked up technologies police forces and governments are using, many of which have terrifying abuse potential, this is the one people complain about.

effective city planning would be better like a lot better. Having environmental clues and enforcement techniques is way more effective as it prevents and not punishes. Person injured from speeding incident is not going to be saved by $500 or whatever fine. When driver physically feels unsafe crossing certain speed limit - there's no reason to monitor or fine him/her. "More cameras" is a cheap brand bandaid that peels off two hours later. It is trying to save people "after the fact", when it's way too late

OK, so what's the argument against using other traffic calming measures that don't steal money from people, and are just as, if not more, effective instead?

Speed cameras aren't the problem, but implementation is. When you're 5km over, well within variation of seasonal tire size difference impact on speedometer, and variations in acceleration/deceleration and road incline changes, and you get dinged not only for each of the kms you are over , but also get charged victim surcharges and administrative surcharges and a fuck you surcharge. Before it's all said and done the surcharges make it a $100. When the surcharges are more than 70-80% of your ticket it's an indiscriminate money grab.

When you get right down to it, the lack of teleport booths is the problem. People see time spent in transit between A and B as time wasted, so the natural instict is to try to shorten it at any cost. As usual, this is modified by the tendency for humans to have really poor risk-assessment abilities.

Legit first time I've seen someone argue in favor of speed cameras. Fuck speed cameras.

Problem with speed cameras is they don't stop speeding. People know where they are and they slow down for before them and then speed up after. Also getting a ticket is weeks later. Getting pulled over is much more effective and people actually change their driving habits.

A few years ago in Washington DC, a section of a highway had a speed camera installed and they reduced the speed limit from 55mph to 35mph. The area was also marked as a construction zone. The only indication of these changes was a single speed limit sign with a small construction zone sign right above it, and the camera was immediately after it, so if you weren't already at 35mph by the time you passed the camera, you get a ticket. There was no construction for several miles either; no cones, no workers, nothing.

I was returning home fom a service call at 3 am when this camera dinged me. I was going 55mph, and the ticket was $270. Since I was driving a company vehicle, my company didn't give me the chance to fight it, not that I could've ... the "judge" for these fines was an employee of the company that owned the camera, and they reportedly always sided with the company. This camera was noted to be the most profitable camera in the United States at the time. Hopefully Canada doesn't outsource their traffic cameras.

A friend of mine was literally ripped apart a few weeks ago on his motorcycle. He was hit by a speeding texter. He lost his leg, his eye, had facial reconstruction both his arms And remaining leg are in traction. Won’t be out until October. I was for speed cameras before his accident. Even more so now.

I do wish they would be more wary of Cameras at traffic lights due to asshat peops who keep turning on left way past the light changing making it look like you ran it not the asshat.