QUOTE: Originally posted by EUCLID TRAVIS There is something about railroad crossings that seems to pose an almost magnetic attraction to collisions with motor vehicles. There is an obvious explanation that never seems to get factored into the official response to the problem of grade crossing safety. The obvious explanation is that trains often produce a relatively long delay to road vehicles compared to the usual delays produced by other vehicles. When traveling at 40 or 50 miles per hour, a typical train does not delay road traffic much longer than a large, signaled intersection with conflicting road traffic, so it seems puzzling that there would be such great risk taking to avoid waiting 30-60 seconds for a train to pass. However, trains occasionally travel for miles at the speed river barge commerce. Sometimes they stop while blocking crossings, and stand still for several minutes for reasons incomprehensible to the blocked motorists. The worst part for drivers who have been blocked by a train for say ten minutes is not knowing how much longer the delay will last. If it is going to be an hour, the driver may be better off to turn around and look for an alternate route. Since nearly every driver has had this dreadful experience, the possibility of a serious delay is on the mind of nearly every driver who encounters a railroad grade crossing where a train is approaching. Railroad officials and law enforcement display a rather condescending attitude toward motorists who are apparently so impatient that they would take a risk trying to beat a train. However, their viewpoint never seems to factor in the absurdly long delays that trains regularly hand out with impunity to the motoring public at grade crossings. This does not excuse drivers who take the risk of trying to beat a train, but it does explain it. The sad irony is that risk of trying to beat a train in order to avoid a delay is the highest when the train is going so fast that it is unlikely to produce a delay.
QUOTE: Originally posted by CSXrules4eva JOdom, Thank goodness I don't have any kids yet, I'm WAAAAAY too young. Persoally I don't lone my truck out to anyone with the excption for my mom, and grandma - in which they don't know how to drive my truck given the fact that it's very high off the ground, big, and it's a stick so in reality I don't have anyone else driving it. I personally wouldn't lend my truck out to anyone, with the exception for my husband (if I had one) so. When I posted earlier I was talking about other people that may lend their car out to others. Actually, my truck isn't resigestered in my name, it's in my mother's. But, IF and ONLY IF I were someone who lent my car out and the person diving received a ticket in my car, nope, WORNG ANSWER, I wouldn't be paying it THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
QUOTE: Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH It's not just at grade crossings. The Illinois State Police is setting up several of these devices throughout the Dan Ryan construction zone to control speed. Construction zone speed limit is 45 MPH and the fine for a first speeding offense in a construction zone is $375, it goes up from there. Safety of the construction workers is the goal in this case, there have been several high-profile incidents in which flaggers and other workers have been killed or injured by speeders.
QUOTE: Originally posted by erikthered All those legal questions were raised and answered when Paradise Valley, Arizona, fielded automated speed traps back in the late 80's. What surprised the folks in PV was not the machine, it was the people. The revenue from tickets issued by the machine paid for the machine within a year. PV was not ready for the huge quantity of photos taken. This is the major difference between a cop running a trap (or visual deterrent post, to be politically correct) and a box. The box doesn't have the discretion a cop does, and will happily take pictures of everyone. You can't give a weak excuse to a camera. They just don't listen. Of course, cops don't really pay any attention to excuses, either, but at least they are interactive. (I have yet to hear of an automated system responding to a cute young thang quite the way a hardened deputy sheriff with a traffic ticket book will.) Erik
QUOTE: Originally posted by CSXrules4eva Humm this seems like a good idea, with respect to enforcement of safety at grade crossings. I do have a couple of questions though. 1. What would happen if you loned your car to a friend of family member, this person in your car runs through the grade crossing, and then you get a ticket in the mail. Now, personally this person shouldn't have to pay it since it was, someone (not the registerd owner driving the vehicle). Is the "cop in a box" going to do do a "face match to all the listed licenced drivers in the state, or country for that matter?? 2. What would happen in the case of the Grand Ave Incedent over in Chicago were several cars stoped on the tracks, while a train was bearing down on them? Is the "cop n a box" going to be able to take everyone's picture while the cars are lined up piled next to each other? Is this nessacaryilly (sp) a just cause for a ticket? - It could get pretty contraversial here.
QUOTE: Originally posted by CSXrules4eva 1. What would happen if you loned your car to a friend of family member, this person in your car runs through the grade crossing, and then you get a ticket in the mail. Now, personally this person shouldn't have to pay it since it was, someone (not the registerd owner driving the vehicle). Is the "cop in a box" going to do do a "face match to all the listed licenced drivers in the state, or country for that matter??
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
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QUOTE: Originally posted by youngengineer man I think I need to get the contract for setting up and maintaining these contraptions. 300.000 to build and setup you have to be kidding No wonder why taxes are outrageous
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
QUOTE: Originally posted by fuzzybroken QUOTE: Originally posted by Limitedclear Supporters of the law hope it will prevent incidents like one in Elmwood Park on Thanksgiving eve last year. That night, a Metra train crashed into several cars trapped at a Grand Avenue crossing during rush hour. Sixteen people were injured, but no one was killed. Ummm... what??? IIRC, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but those people were there before the gates went down! How would the "cop in a box" have made any difference? (Other than add insult to injury...) That was a matter of a lack of education... might be a good idea to borrow that Australian ad that all but shows a train hitting a car "queued" on the tracks! On the other hand, it should help deter other knobs from driving around gates that are already down...
QUOTE: Originally posted by Limitedclear Supporters of the law hope it will prevent incidents like one in Elmwood Park on Thanksgiving eve last year. That night, a Metra train crashed into several cars trapped at a Grand Avenue crossing during rush hour. Sixteen people were injured, but no one was killed.
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