Red light cameras

[GoingDown]

My cousin recently got nailed for turning right at a red light camera at Scottsdale Road and McDowell Road, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The fine is huge-- almost $300!

According to her, she stopped at the light when it turned red, and then when the traffic cleared, she went ahead and turned right.

She talked to someone at the city and they said the only way to avoid getting a ticket from a red light camera is to NEVER turn right on a red. Just sit there and wait until the light turns green before you turn right.

This will hold up traffic, but it's better than getting a ticket.

And the person at the city also advised trying to stop on yellows when you know it is a red light camera intersection. Their cameras are aimed at a point a few feet in front of the crosswalk. So, if the light turns yellow while your car is entering the crosswalk area, you will probably end up getting a ticket in the mail, eventhough you technically didn't run a red light.

She's going to attend a defensive driving class to keep the ticket from getting on her driver's license and increasing her insurance rates.

The red light camera locations are posted on Phoenix's and Scottsdale's government websites. If you know you are coming up to a red light camera intersection, my advice is to slow down so you can stop on a yellow, and never ever turn right on a red light.

[mountanddo]

Well, generally you can turn on a red light after you come to a complete stop and look both ways unless it states "no turn on red". I would assume if there is a camera there that someone has done a study and has classified that intersection as dangerous. Yeah, if she turned on a red light that she wasn't supposed to I guess she deserved the ticket. $300 is a bit steep though if you ask me but it would be a moving violation.

[Resigned2BK]

Has your cousin looked at the link to the video footage for her stop? Here in WA, they give us a link to the exact video footage. Nabbing people on legal right turns is the bread and butter for these red light cameras. Our fine is 124 and they reduce it to 100 if you go to court to have an a$$hole judge embarrass you with playing the footage in front of people you'll probably never see again. Can you tell it's happened to me before? Not that I'm overly bitter about it or anything.

[justbroke]

Here in Florida, they MUST review the footage and MUST provide a picture of your car (BOTH SETS OF TIRES) behind the stop line with the LIGHT RED and a picture within several seconds showing BOTH SETS OF TIRES forward of the stop line with the LIGHT RED. The picture must show the light, the vehicle, and the stop line all in one shot. All photo enforcements MUST BE reviewed.

Someone should start a class action suit against the City of Scottsdale and they'll wake up.

[HRx]

$300 is without a doubt a bit steep. Virginia is flooded with stop light cameras, but we don't have any in Massachusetts at the moment.

[keepsmiling]

Here in Florida, they MUST review the footage and MUST provide a picture of your car (BOTH SETS OF TIRES) behind the stop line with the LIGHT RED and a picture within several seconds showing BOTH SETS OF TIRES forward of the stop line with the LIGHT RED. The picture must show the light, the vehicle, and the stop line all in one shot. All photo enforcements MUST BE reviewed.

Someone should start a class action suit against the City of Scottsdale and they'll wake up.

Thanks, very good to know. We've just started getting them here in NJ.

[malf1204]

If it is in fact legal to turn right on red at that intersection then she is not guilty of an infraction. Go to court. Judges love to throw these type of tickets out. Here in Maryland we have a lot of trouble with the private vendors who operate these cameras for the government. They have been caught adjusting angles and timing, not placing required warning signs, etc to maximize the number of tickets issued because they receive a percent of every ticket. Most people will not fight and simply pay the fine. Positive re-enforcement for these companies when that happens.

[spidge]

I don't know how much truth there is to this, but I have read that if you do not call or respond to the mailed ticket you have not been served with a ticket. Once you respond you admit to receiving the ticket and have to respond.

Has she gone back to the intersection to investigate if she messed up? Some people like my wife seem to think if she had time to look for traffic that counts as a stop. I think I'll have her get a second job to pay for all her traffic incidence. If there are no turn on red signs I would try to find out the exact requirements for posting it and see if they followed them.

[malf1204]

I am not sure I would ignore the citation. In this state they will suspend your licenses plates if you do not respond. Driving on suspended plates IS an arrestable offense. If you are caught with this infraction you are issued a citation and your car is impounded until such time as the licenses plates are valid. This could cost you hundreds more dollars than the original ticket. This is from the Scottsdale police website:

You may also request a civil hearing in person. To avoid delays, we recommend that you request a hearing by mail.

To avoid a delinquency notice and the accrual of additional costs, you must mail the envelope at least five working days before the court date and time shown on your complaint. You will be notified by mail of your hearing date. You must appear for your hearing on the date and time assigned by the court. At that time you will be afforded the opportunity to testify regarding your case and to question the states evidence.

You may file a written request for a hearing in absentia. You must show why attending a civil traffic hearing would cause a substantial hardship. A substantial hardship is more than a mere inconvenience and must be based on extraordinary circumstances.

If you fail to respond to this complaint, you may be personally served at your own expense, a default judgment may be entered against you, and your driver license may be suspended.

[justbroke]

In Florida, ignoring the ticket (citation) will result in an IMMEDIATE suspension of your driver's license after so many days (60+ days past due). If you are from out of State, the Florida DHSMV might even send a suspension to your State. Imagine your surprise when you're stopped for a simple traffic infraction back at home and you get arrested for driving on a suspended license.

Like most things involving laws, they do vary from State to State and maybe even County to County! Make sure you understand what the legal requirements are for red-light tickets in your particular municipality, county, or State!

[AngelinaCat]

We have four Red Light cameras in Green Cove Springs, FL. They are on US 17, the main North-South stretch through the town. I do not know if there are any others around; I just know of those.....

Palatka will be installing at least two, if not more, by the end of the year. They are hungry for money. The *brilliant* ideas of knocking down the old buildings and replacing them with parking lots, are NOT drawing new businesses or people into the town.

For anyone going into Palatka from south to north over the bridge, expect one at the red light at the corner of Reid and 2nd Streets.

[Flamingo]

Here in Delaware if your car is in the intersection designation when the light turns red and there is a camera, you will receive a letter with an ID photo of the vehicle and license plate and also a link to watch a video. The best thing to do if one knows there is a camera at an intersection (it is usually very obvious in many locations) or when traveling where you are not familiar with the area is to just make sure you don't attempt to run that yellow light if at all possible. It's hard to get out of an incriminating video and the fines are high.

Most states have turn right on red after a full stop and there is no oncoming traffic. If right on red is allowed in your state, I'll bet the video will show that the OP's cousin did not make a full stop before turning.

[GoingDown]

I'll bet the video will show that the OP's cousin did not make a full stop before turning.

Having seen my cousin drive on many occasions, I think this is probably what happened.

As for the other ideas in other posts in this thread... too late. She already paid the fine by paying for the defensive driving class in lieu of getting a ticket on her driver's license. So, at least her insurance rates won't go up.

This was an expensive learning lesson for her.

What I've learned from this experience is to not turn right on a red at a red light camera intersection. It's definitely not worth taking the chance of getting one of these tickets in the mail. Just sit there and wait patiently until the light turns green before you make your turn.

And if you know you're coming up to a red light camera, slow down a bit and be prepared to stop on a yellow if necessary.

And one more thing. If you can avoid red light camera intersections, do that. I downloaded all the red light camera locations in my local area and I try to avoid driving through them now.

[OHBOY]

Just noticed this thread, here are my 2 cents;

I just recently received notice that Brooksville,Fl has a class action suit about the red light cameras. I had one of those tickets a couple of years ago while driving through that 'lovely' town.

Ticket was for making a 'rolling stop' (prior to proceding to make a right hand turn). I thought they were crazy, but did not attempt to fight it. Did watch the video.....Video does not identify the driver...

Anyhow, I paid ( I think) $ 150 and vowed to boycott the town and never to conduct any business ( such as buying gas, ect. ) while going through that god forsaken place (sorry, hope nobody is offended...).

Whenever I have to drive through that place now, I am so paranoid I wait for that light to change to green before making a turn.......

Oh, BTW...the class action suit stated that, IF they win the lawsuit against the town, that anybody that's part of the law suit will get $ 8 and some cents.....whoppeeeeeee !

I hope there will be more lawsuits and would be nice to see the towns lose.

Also hope that everybody out there makes an efford to not re elect the morans on the town boards back in that voted for the red lights.

[AngelinaCat]

Unfortunately, we live in the country--not the *big city* whose City Commissioners decided to vote in these atrocities, otherwise we would be actively campaigning against them.