Is there any way out of these type tickets, or at least be able to get the fine reduced?

The pictures clearly indicate I'm a guilty fool.

$351 - mother effer!

 

Randy -

Make sure the yellow light at the intersection in question isn't set too short. There are many municipalities that view red light cameras as a cheap source of revenue and set the yellow light artificially short on the intersections monitored by camera.

If I were you, I'd do a random sample timing of yellow lights at various intersections in San Diego and compare the yellow light durations to the one in question. If you can show you were "entrapped" by a bogus short yellow light, you might win your case.

Edit: You might also be interested to know that most cities buy the cameras cheap in return for giving the camera manufacturer a cut of the fines... Which is likely the reason the fine is so steep. Gotta pay city hall PLUS the camera maker.

 

Do what I do (while I don't blow reds like you do Randy - you criminal) - Run around with no license plate.

 

Post the pic... Is Normy in the passenger seat?

Rich

 

The cameras are installed for free in return for a % of the revenue. As stated there have been issues with the changing of the yellow and I recall something about not being legal for the same agency to set the interval who installs the camera ??? Costa Mesa had to forgive like 6 months of tickets when one guy challenged and won. I have been thinking I should buy a couple Crown Victorias and see if I can subcontract with CHP and write a few tickets the same "logic" applies.

 

http://www.traffic-ticket-attorney.com

 

Do they have a picture of you in the car? If the picture is only your car, then how can they PROVE you went through the red light? They can't. They can only prove that your car went through. Don't let them take your rights away. Fight fight fight!

 

Randy,

I've tried a few camera ticket cases for friends and clients. It's almost impossible to win. I'll give it a go for you is you want. No charge. Call me at the office tomorrow (858) 673-0084. Also, why don't you take your front plate off? It's much better to get a fix it ticket for not having a front plate, than to get a red light ticket at $ 351.00. Then you can just flip them the bird as the camera flashes.

Steve

 

Nicole's link is good. Here is a site dealing directly with your situation, linked by that site.

http://www.highwayrobbery.net/

 

HOLY CRAP! $351! My god. That's insane! Sorry I didn't catch that before. Hell, my ticket in PA for 108 in a 65 was only $219. That's BS! Any chance you know the judge or Chief of Police, so that you can invite them over for one of your famous BBQ's and cocktail mixers? Yum!

 

$351 is insane. Here the ticket is $75 and I think in DC it's $50*. The problem with traffic enforcement cameras is that they pretty much have to assume you're guilty until proven innocent. They don't have to prove you did it. They have to prove your car did it and you are the registered owner. It is up to you to prove somebody else was driving. This is partially why Virginia and West Virginia have banned traffic enforcement cameras, because they are unconstitutional. The other reason is that Virginia, North Carolina and I think Great Britain have done studies showing that localities with traffic cameras have a higher rate of accidents with injuries.

There are set rulles for size of the road, speed limit, size of the crossing road, etc. when setting the yellow timing. That is probably the best bet for getting out of it unless you want to cry constitution in court.

* In DC about $35 of that $50 goes to Northrop-Grumman whether or not you're convicted. If you get off, DC has to pay out. Traffic cameras is their largest business now, not defense contracts.

 

..................must............resist..................doing......... ..........a...........photoshop.................picture

 

$351!!! For runnin a Red Light?! Thats Nuts!!

 

There are some valid and some not so valid comments on the red light camera issue. I'm a Traffic Analyst in the Signals & Systems group for one of Toronto's Regional Municipalities. We are one of the many parties that were involved in the red light camara pilot project in the province of Ontario. I can give you several pointers on how you might be able to argue this ticket. But before I do that, let me express my personal feelings on this issue. Running a red light on purpose is inexusable. I strongly feel that these cameras, if installed properly, will decrease collisions resulted from vehicles running the red light. This issue was proven in the pilot project and therefore the project is in the process of getting a final paroval. If I could only show you how devestating most of the red light running collisions are, you would understand why preventing them is priorty one. Most of these collisions are relative high speed, right angle impacts. In majority of the cases, one of the vehicles being impacted on the driver side. Angled collisions like these are extremly dangerous and often fatal. I always know when looking at a collision report if anyone died or not. If the report is typed with a typewriter, the box under "injury" will have at least one with a number 4 (4=fatility) next to it and the coroner's box will contain the Dr's. If you ran the red light and the road/weather conditions were normal, please learn from this and never, ever do it again.

Now let me help you with some of the parameters that you need to check. As other mentioned, the Amber Phase (Yellow Light), is determined by the width of the intersection, posted speed limit and geometrical aligment (both vertical and horizontal) of the road. You can contact the local municipality or county depending on who's jurisdiciton the intersection is under and ask for them to give you the required information. The width of the crossing intersection is measured from the stop bar, to the far edge (curbe line) of the intersection plus a legth of the "design vehicle" (usually a passanger car). Essentially the distance that the vehicle has to travel, plus the vehicle's length (to clear the rear bumper from the travelled section of the road). Using this distance and the speed limit at the intersection, will make calculating of the amber interval fairly easy (distnace over time). Since signal timing phases change throughout the day, make sure you ask for the lenght of the amber and "all red" interval from the municipality/county for the exact time the offence was commited. All red is the interval where all the aproaching signals are red( to clear the intersection of any remaining vehicles. The minimum is 2 sec. in Ontario and will be more if the intersection is large.

By law, they have to have this on file, including a ldrawing with a leagal, aproved and signed copy of the intersection as it exists today. They might or might not charge your for this information (that is up to them) but by law they need to make this information available for you (fredom of information act). You can also ask if the traffic signal controllerand has the maitnance up to date, if the log book has anything noted as faulty at the time in question, or if the system log has anything unusually for that time (this all will be avaible but you'll probalby have to pay of the data.). Teh camara will have simillar logs too. Also, in Ontario the red light cameras can not be digital. They wouldn't be admissable in court. You might want to check on this too, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't make a mistake like this. You also might want to ask from them how the camera is triggered. Usually it's a combination of two inductive (magnetic) vehicle detection loops spaced at a set disntance and the combination of another form of vehicle detection (infrared, radar, microwave, video, etc.).

If you can find anythng that is out of the norm, make sure to use it in your defence. Hire a good lawyer that knows the ins and outs of the red light camera system.......or just pay the fine and learn the lesson.

By the way, in Ontario, a red light violation ticket will not go on the record of the driver or the owner of the vehicle but, if you don't pay it, you will not be able to register the car the following year. You might want to look into this as well.

I hope this helps and good luck!

 

Great info, Imo000...

Randy, I think they have you over the barrel on this one unless your research turns up a technicality. Proactive measures:

1) Lose the front plate, or put it on a hinge like Ken's. It takes a LOT of $10 no-plate tickets to add up to a camera ticket.

2) Get ahold of an "Opticon"