Lights... Camera... (ticket) Action!

Alternate Post Names:
The Houston Red Light Camera Down_Low
Houston, We Have Runners


I was trying to find some information about crime statistics or police reports in the area (to see just how safe we really are) and I happened upon an interesting little file: PDF - Houston Red Light Camera Locations - PDF.
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From the name of the original PDF file, I assume they keep it updated and change the name when they do, so this is its original location, and please let me know if you found the link broken - thanks.

There are a couple reasons why the cameras were put into place, according to the houstontx.gov site:

"Red light running is the leading cause of urban crashes according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In 2004, more than 900 people were killed and an estimated 168,000 were injured in crashes that involved red light running.

Houston-Galveston Area Council data indicate that red light accidents in the Houston area account for approximately $225 million per year in total comprehensive cost.

The City of Houston is committed to the safety of the community and dedicated to reducing preventable collisions at signalized intersections. Every year, there are thousands of crashes that occur due to motorists running red lights in Houston.

The City’s Red Light Camera Enforcement Safety Program uses state-of-the-art digital camera and detection systems installed at some of Houston’s most dangerous intersections for the purpose of decreasing the number of red light runners and reducing collisions."

Here's a preview of what it will look like if you happen to get caught running a red light at any of the above mapped locations:
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Moral of the story, if you're driving through Houston, TX, and you happen to see a yellow light, you should probably STOP (for a change)!

In case you were wondering, I never did find the information I was actually looking for. I guess my Google-Foo just isn't what it used to be.

My Latest Album

This upload was inspired by the repetitive emails I received containing these pictures. I admit they are funny and (for the most part) well done, but how many times can a person get the same email before going insane? I hope you haven't gotten this one, or it might just be your last breath of sanity - my bad!

ENJOY!

^{(click to see a larger version, and the rest of the album)}

Wacky Wirey Wednesday

Hey, I was able to keep the 'W' on it this time! I'm so content, and as for content, here's a daily giggle, partially known as:

- "Texas Always Wins!" -
  After having dug to a depth of 10 yards last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years, sending them to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

  Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, California scientists dug to a depth of 20 yards, and shortly thereafter, headlines in the "LA Times" newspaper read: "California archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers."

  One week later, "The Express News," a local newspaper in Texas, reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 yards in corn fields near Austin, Bubba Jo Johnson, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Johnson therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless."