Red Light Tickets...

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Boulder, Colorado, have numerous red light cameras in the city. Supposedly will get you even if you stop and are over the white cross walk line. One time a Boulder Police Cruiser was behind me and I stopped for the red light, and he just about rear ended me. I watched in the rear view mirror and he gave a big smile as he must have appreciated my dilemma. Go through and get the red light ticket or stop. In the Denver Metro a red light means the next three cars are going through, so be careful and be patient.

Scott
 
When Janet Napolitano was governor here, she went camera crazy. There were cameras everywhere. And she wanted to install over 1,000 more. Then when Jan Brewer won the election, one of the first things she did was have them removed. We still have a few red light cameras. But nothing like it was before. It's all designed to separate you from your money, and has nothing to do with, "public safety". Those things caused more accidents with people slamming on their brakes unexpectedly.
 
Cameras everywhere in Oz.

The law is that if it's your plate that goes through, you pay the fine, and lose the points...or finger the person driving the car.
 
Waze, the phone app has a neat feature that indicated a red light camera ahead.

I always stop as the risk-reward ratio is poor on stop signs and traffic lights. Extremely little time is saved, yet the risk of a ticket is high. However, there have been times where my stop rate was insufficient to stop a foot before the line, and I've gone over by a little, (wet, snow, short yellow cycle, tailgater, etc) I'm not sure I should be penalized for making as much effort as possible.
 
Originally Posted by FordBroncoVWJeta
Both. If you slowdown you don't have to worry.

False.

If the driver behind you doesn't, you are rear-ended. I, personally, have witnessed 3 collisions like this at a light near my house which has been there long enough that "the people aren't used to it" excuse doesn't fly anymore.
 
Both. People become more aware of intersections that have the red light cameras and the intersections locally have become safer statistically. I've seen speed cameras but have no idea how fast you need to go to trigger a citation. I doubt they are issuing notices for 32mph in a 30mph zone.

Our town's red light cameras only issue citation if the light is red before you enter the intersection. There will be both a video showing the violation and a still picture of the red light and your car not yet entering the intersection. I believe this is fair. What I don't think is "fair" is holding people to the "three second rule" for turns on red. This is pretty ticky tack and some of the local red light intersections don't cite this because of public backlash.

Municipal budgets are so tight now a days any money they get from people speeding in school zones or running red lights is less money they have to get from taxes from it's residents.

I've never received a citation because 1) I don't run red lights and 2) I heed the warning signs that a speed camera is in use up ahead (which is required). So my opinion may be different than yours....
 
Lots of red light cameras here. Only folks that probably don't like them, are the ones running the lights. Any other complaint is just an excuse.
 
Our town had them for a short time . To increase safety ( Right ! ) . Untill the state took much of the profit out of the equasion . Then our town dropped it ( what about Safety ? ! )
 
Cujet said above, "I always stop as the risk-reward ratio is poor on stop signs and traffic lights."

WOW, you stop at red lights and stop signs?

You're my civic hero! I've never heard of anyone obeying any law, much less a traffic law, before in my life.

What a concept.....let me write that down.

What's that? Corrupt traffic camera companies?....disingenuous city/county/state/federal governments?

Hey, that's fake news....because I said so.
 
I'd be happy if they would stop before the stripe on the road - IMO, it's already too close to the intersection and hard enough to turn past them ...
 
Originally Posted by Willclark
Not sure if this is the right thread but does your city have "red light tickets". I live in Chicago and they are everywhere. We have "speed cameras" also around some parks and schools. They claim it's to save the children but the speed cams operate on the weekends and until 11pm during the week. I don't think grade school kids are walking home at 10pm. I have seen certain cases where they actually increase rear end collisions. On the other hand, outside of Lake Shore Drive, our police rarely make traffic stops. Do you think these things really help reduce accidents or are the just a revenue generator? I have only received 2 in the past 5 years so I haven't been effected too much by them. They are $100 and if you don't pay they double to $200.


It is a scam run by a large corp, they keep most of the fines as processing fees,
City of Loma Linda CA and other scrapped it after a city official received one with a photo of his mistress sitting next to him.

They even have a videos of the offense so you can convince yourself to pay up.

I was in Toledo, OH and google maps warned me of a "Speed Camera".
 
About once every 6 months, I'd get a ticket from my oldest daughter's car in Seattle. Red light or speeding. I'd fax them a statement saying that neither my wife nor I was using the car.

Now that she's finished grad school and has her first "big girl job" the car was registered and insured in her name, with the bill going to her.

No more tickets (from her) anyway.

Years ago, while still an undergrad, she got one for not paying some tolls in the Chicagoland area. You have a week or two to go online with your tag number and pay the toll, but she forgot.

I got the tickets around Christmas and when she opened a card with cash as a gift, I handed her the tickets (well not during the gift opening, it would be tacky) and she handed over the cash
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Cameras are for revenue, period. Operated by private companies "on behalf" of the city.

I've gotten two and ignored them.


Exactly.
 
Wait, hang on, read the ticket front and back, it never a good idea to ignore a ticket. One would not want to hauled off and endure a deep cavity search for a few hundred $$$.
 
Originally Posted by stockrex
Wait, hang on, read the ticket front and back, it never a good idea to ignore a ticket. One would not want to hauled off and endure a deep cavity search for a few hundred $$$.

You know MCompact was a judge, right?
 
Originally Posted by Linctex
I get "camera flashed" all the time in Fort Worth -

after coming to a complete stop, and about 5-10 seconds later.

They have lots and LOTS of pictures of me sitting motionless, at a stop light, with the brake lights on.

I have never received a ticket in the mail, ever.


Just because they take a picture of you and your vehicle doesn't mean you have done anything or that you will receive a ticket.
 
The problem is that the companies that run these things are not willing to put up with an area becoming safer and their revenue going down the toilet. The host cities begin tweaking the lights to encourage more people to run a red.

There are quite a few streets around here that are downright dramatic to stop on for a red light. They are either timed so every time you leave a green light, you will be facing a really short yellow at the next intersection, or they simply have super short yellows that may as well never happen. If you don't know what's about to happen, you end up using a lot of brakes to stop in time, even doing the speed limit.

Result? People who know these roads go stupid fast on them to beat the next light, or they are flying through an intersection at 70 in a 45.

There's quite a few intersections where the lights mysteriously never go green long enough to empty the turning lanes. Not even half. But there sure is a red light camera waiting to see what happens.

I don't need a program that responds to safe intersections by doing everything it can to make it less safe.

That's like a Fire Department handing out space heaters and shag carpet to help with a winter slump in calls.
 
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