They do not exist solely to collect revenue, although they certainly do that as well. They have been proven time and again to reduce speeding and fatalities, as other commenters in this thread have pointed out. As far as using traffic cameras to reduce police forces, I haven't been able to find that exactly, but there are plenty of examples of deploying traffic cameras to work around a shortage of officers which works out to the same thing.

Why do I keep talking to myself and contradicting every other thing I say?

(Taking this to its logical conclusion, in case I forget why I wrote this when I read it later and feel like arguing with myself about it)

I generalize ofc but those are definitely the prevailing viewpoints, which seem contradictory.

Lemmy try not to post crimes challenge - impossible. Granted, as far as crimes go, this one seems innocuous enough, but still.

I've been told repeatedly on c/piracy that lemmy is just too small to attract the attention of law enforcement and three-letter agencies

Paradoxically, I've also been told that lemmy is rife with state-sponsored troll farms, so....?

Traffic Cameras can and do reduce speeding if implemented properly

No. Traffic cameras in your area are there to generate revenue.

The camera being covered here is not at an intersection so your offtopic comment about revenue is irrelevant. This is a camera on a stretch of road where drivers usually speed, the cameras are painted bright yellow to make them obvious and do a far better job of getting people to slow for hazardous corners than a sign ever did.

In California the duration of yellow is determined by a formula incorporating the roads speed limit. If yellow light duration is less than the formula would set, the traffic ticket is dismissed. I'm guessing most states have a similar law.

If that were the case, they would be hidden.

They are a deterrent for speeding most of all.

In the UK (Where the op picture is) the police cannot collect the revenue from cameras and other fines. It all goes to the gov so the cops have zero financial incentive to install speed cameras.

https://www.cochrane.org/CD004607/INJ_do-speed-cameras-reduce-road-traffic-crashes-injuries-and-deaths

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20927736/

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/after-traffic-cameras-went-in-everett-saw-70-decrease-in-speeding/

Nope, just observed it on this weekend on a cobble stone street in very bad condition. It was a 30 km/h zone and other drivers where more about 50.

While I, who only had a driver's license for 3 months, tried not to break the suspension of my car (obviously unfounded).

It only surveils idiots who are speeding.

Why is this not fuvk people who put pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers in danger

For reasonable people yes, but those that go 30km/h over the speed limit every time don't care and will always drive as fast as possible in those sections. I once met a guy who claimed to know down to the exact last km/h how fast he could drive until the car lost control in every single curve of a quite curvy road segment. Is it save to drive like that? Absolutely fucking not. Does he car(e)? Also absolutely fucking not.