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EM Red Light Impounder

 Giant electromagnet over intersection grabs cars that run the red light
 
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This is similar to those giant electromagnets they use at salvage yards to move cars around. But this one is larger and positioned over dangerous intersections. One second after the light turns red the electromagnet activates and any car that is in the intersection gets grabbed. They are then moved out of the way into a holding pen where the car is impounded and/or fined.
—DeathNinja, Jul 17 2003

Strongly related idea from the halfbakery http://www.halfbake...t-Lane_20Eliminator
This proposes a electromagnet suspended from a helicopter. Half-baked in a James Bond movie. [bristolz, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004]

[link]






       What happens if the car is travelling fast enough for the electromagnet only to pull it, say three quarters of the way up before the car's momentum carries it through its influence? Would you not end up with a lot of cars now not only rushing through red lights, but doing so twenty feet above the ground?
—custardlove, Jul 17 2003
   

       Could be adapted to avoid the need for bridges where roads cross, half of cross-flowing traffic would simply be slung into the air by an electromagnet embedded in the road. A mechanism to calculate the force required to ensure a correct trajectory would need to be devised (and a feedback system to ensure the correct force is applied).
—drainfood, Jul 17 2003
   

       That would be a headache.
—half, Jul 17 2003
   

       You just have to duck.   

         

       [+] For its halfbakededness. Since when does something like this need all the bugs worked out for the HB?   

       drainfood's idea is even better--get rid of stoplight entirely, everybody drives all out all the time, and wheeeee, some of us go flying over the traffic.
—oxen crossing, Jul 17 2003
   

       The magnet should be in the road, just past the intersection. The car would zoom thru, only to come to a bone-jarring halt just on the far side of the intersection. Traffic would not be obstructed since the light is now red and traffic is going by on the cross street.
—bungston, Jul 17 2003
   

       Fasten your seatbelts, folks.   

       What about emergency vehicles?
—snarfyguy, Jul 17 2003
   

       or motorcycles?
—custardlove, Jul 17 2003
   

       what about cars going the other way ??, or stoped cars ? would they get pulled into the intersection ?
—SystemAdmin, Jul 17 2003
   

       Bury the magnet in the road. This would stop the car VERY suddenly! Then you'd need some kind of crane to remove the knackered car from the road, but it serves people right if they run red lights.
—nick3, Jul 24 2003
   

       It does not serve anyone right to destroy them or their vehicle for running a red light.
—bristolz, Jul 24 2003
   
      
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