Red-light cam gets another one

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
February 24, 2010

The red-light cameras are working, and they are catching the violators. And, every time a violator whines about his ticket, he just takes one more step into that big pile of manure he just drove through.

In a Letter to the Editor of the Northwest Herald this morning, Gilberts resident Michael O'Brien griped about his ticket for not stopping for the red light as he rolled up to turn left. Or was he just postulating? Here's what he said:

"If you are in the left turn lane and the arrow turns red while you are about to make your turn, and you decide to brake and be one car length past the solid white stop line..."

Well, he just admitted entering the intersection (passing the white stop line) on a red light. What was he doing when the green arrow changed to a yellow arrow? Gotcha, Mike. You should have "decided" sooner and stopped.

If you can make it into the intersection before the light turns red, then you have not violated the law and you won't get a ticket. A yellow light gives you that time. Now, if you are racing to "make" it, you run the risk of not making it. But being able to stop only one car length (20-22 feet) past the white line means you weren't going all that fast.

And what does "one car length past the solid white stop line" mean? Was there a car length between the white stop line and the back of your car? If so, you were probably out in the intersection. But the main thing is that you admit the light turned red while you were "about to make your turn". You should have stopped sooner.

It's very seldom that a green light will turn to red with no warning.

You said it all, Mike, when you wrote, "What a novel concept for people to look and pay attention while they drive." Yes, indeed.