Digital/Robotic law enforcement is popping up everywhere these days. Mostly it takes the form of intersection cameras that photograph red light runners. California is testing a new syhstem that is more of the "set it and forget it" variety.

Pleasanton is about to turn the fast into the furious.

In a move unprecedented in the Bay Area, the city's traffic engineers have created a traffic signal with attitude. It senses when a speeder is approaching and metes out swift punishment.

It doesn't write a ticket. It immediately turns from green to yellow to red.

The system would be effective at slowing down the casual habit speeders and the chronic hurry speeders while not burdening the law enforcement and courts system. It will be interesting to see if these systems spread like intersection cameras have. They may not since they don't raise their own revenue.

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Comments

[Paul W. Swansen]

So how will this deal with emergency response vehicles, ie: Fire, Ambulance, Police responding to calls?

[Peter Davidson]

Paul the article didn't say but I suspect that the current system of grill mounted strobe lights on emergency vehicles that trigger sensors on stoplights would still work.

Thanks for the comment.

[Mark]

Hi,

I encounterd this system on numerous occations in Portugal this summer and it looked like it was widely implemented there. So I guess it is not really new...