I noticed my parents had one installed to the entrance of their subdivision and another around the first turn.  I guess they had someone walk into a house that had the garage door open and try to rob a couple.  

I got to thinking about this and now am noticing them everywhere.  In the part of town I work in they are at every intersection on all 4 sides.   I know the ones at my parents are for recording cars that drive in and out as there's only 1 entrance so anyone who decides to rob/break in will most likely have their car recorded.  But what are all these intersection cameras for?  I know they aren't the ones that give tickets for red light runners.  Are they just recording and used for evidence in accidents or something?

Why would the city spend all this money on these things?  Between the cameras, recording equipment, and installation I would guess they might cost a grand a piece.  For what?  

If I was about 10 years younger and had a supressed target .22 I'd be tempted to pop as many of these things as I could.

Around here they are using them instead of the coils under the concrete to sense when cars come up the intersection.  I guess they last longer than the old way.

Quoted: Around here they are using them instead of the coils under the concrete to sense when cars come up the intersection.  I guess they last longer than the old way.

They told us the same thing here in Novi, but I find it interesting that the cameras are set up at an angle that gives a view of the driver. One camera with a fish eye lens can do the job just fine, no need for one on all 4 corners.

Quoted: Around here they are using them instead of the coils under the concrete to sense when cars come up the intersection.  I guess they last longer than the old way.

+1  What your are seeing is cameras used for controlling the traffic lights.  They are supposed to work better than the coils.  We have the at several intersections.  I can assure you that the ones in our city are not used for giving tickets.  


ETA: TheOtherDave, no the fisheye type wont work.  They have to be aimed at a certain lane of traffic.  Its the recognition of the car in the camera that trips the specific light.  I don't think they are recorded, either.  

first i know nothing about the cameras that where installed

but i do install cameras so i can give a little info, a motion sensor on a camera like that will cost about 1000 installed, including the camera, the nice thing is the labor when it breaks is cheap, less the an hour to change any piece of the system. each piece of the system has a cost under 200 bucks. now i am not saying they are not recorded but adding a recorder to the system would cost about 400 per camera if each one has their own recorder, or about 500 to record 4 cameras at one intersection.

now compare this cost to the loops in the road, when they go bad figure a days labor for the crew, plus closing the road about 5 k if i had to guess