My friend got tagged by a red light camera

[irwin]

The damage? Only $351.

883kb!
http://www.redflagd.com/bas/media/ticket.jpg

I think the last pic really captures his eyes.

[yippiekiyeh]

Those cameras sure are sneaky, you think that you're all safe and surprise in the mail...

And to think about $150 of those dollars is to pay the company that works those cameras! Damn good money!

[bachviet]

The only reason cities put up these cameras is the extra revenues.

[CornMonkey]

hmm, i think i got caught at a red last week... anyone know how long it takes before i get sent a notice/ticket?

[Jane83]

a week. my uncle got a nice $500 picture of himself in his m5.
prices range from location too i believe.
this one was on La Cienega & Wilshire in BH.

[DarkFury]

time to invest in some "James Bond" flipping license plates.

[CornMonkey]

a week. my uncle got a nice $500 picture of himself in his m5.
prices range from location too i believe.
this one was on La Cienega & Wilshire in BH.

$500??? CRAP!!

great scots i hope my ticket won't be that much...(assuming i got caught). i was caught on jefferson blvd in culver city. argh...

[blueindian]

the put those contraptions in my town for about 2 months, then took them back out 'cause too many of the pictures weren't clear enough to ticket someone.

i think they are a good idea (at least on paper, i don't like the "big brother" aspect). . .running red lights is dangerous. i do think they should wait 1-2 seconds after the light turns red before snapping the pic though.

[Merlin]

The only reason cities put up these cameras is the extra revenues.

They say that they put them up in the areas where they have the most accidents from running red lights. So for safety they need to cut it down. But I tend to agree with you that they are just looking for another way into my wallett.

i do think they should wait 1-2 seconds after the light turns red before snapping the pic though.

I don't remember the exact number now because it has been a while but when I lived in Scottsdale AZ in the late 90's they rolled out the system there and the delay was in line with what you want. If you get caught on the tail end of a yellow you'd be fine. You had to pretty blatantly run the light to get caught.

If you are really afraid of this happening the best thing I could advise is to register your car under your wife's name and her car under yours (substitute names as necessary) This way when the ticket comes to one person you could go to court and say to the judge that it clearly is not you driving.

[mcs328]

We have lots here in the DC Metro area. We also have speed cameras. The number of T-bone accidents have gone down but the number of read-end collisions have gone up. I like the red light camera but I don't like how it's a revenue tool more than a safety tool now versus when it first started up here. The speed cameras I think are ridiculous and also the tax per mile driven and plans to kill HOV and make it all tolls instead. Damn Virginia is a greedy but cheakskate state.

[OC]

It's called personal responsibility. If you really don't want to get caught, the solution is incredibly simple - don't rush red lights. It's no one's fault but your own if you get nailed.

Trying to find ways to get away with running red lights is pathetic.

[bachviet]

...

If you are really afraid of this happening the best thing I could advise is to register your car under your wife's name and her car under yours (substitute names as necessary) This way when the ticket comes to one person you could go to court and say to the judge that it clearly is not you driving.

You still have to pay for the ticket unless you give the court name of the person who drives your car. The only good thing is that you don't get the point.

Like mcs328 said above, the T-bone accidents might have come down but the rear end accidents go up and there is more delay because people started braking at green lights (or may be just the Asian drivers here in Westminster/Garden Grove).

I think these tickets cost around $300 to $350 in OC.

[gear02]

It's called personal responsibility. If you really don't want to get caught, the solution is incredibly simple - don't rush red lights. It's no one's fault but your own if you get nailed.

Trying to find ways to get away with running red lights is pathetic.

I'd agree, but there's one of those lights here in VA near my place. It's on a highway (50) and people always go about 60 on it. They don't give enough time to stop between the yellow and red, which really sucks. If someone hit the brakes there's a good chance someone will rear end him...

[Merlin]

You still have to pay for the ticket unless you give the court name of the person who drives your car. The only good thing is that you don't get the point.

And by that time the statue of limitations on a traffic violation is most likely up. And they would still need to track that other person down and make the case - much more hassle. Are they going to bother? Probably not. Of course your mileage may vary but it is the best way to go if you are in an area that is camera crazy.

[attgig]

for anyone living in/near baltimore...just got this in an e-mail forwards a few weeks ago:

Subject: Fw: Red Light Cameras

Here is a complete list of the new traffic cameras. Safe driving!

The Phase II cameras are digital. They will send you and ticket with a picture but you will also be given an ID number where you can go online

and watch yourself running the red light. They look like glass bubbles

and will not flash as you go through the light.

PHASE I LOCATIONS

Northern Parkway & Falls Rd.

Northern Parkway & York Rd.

Reisterstown Road & Patterson Ave.

Eastern Avenue & Kane St.

Edmonson Avenue & Hilton St.

Edmonson Avenue & Cooks La.

Franklin Street & Pulaski St.

Orleans Street & Gay St.

President Street & Fayette St.

Russell Street NB & Hamburg St.

Russell Street SB & Hamburg St.

Light Street & Pratt Street

Pulaski Highway & Monument St.

MLK Jr. Blvd. & Washington Blvd.

Franklin Street & Franklintown Rd.

Hillen Road & Argonne Dr.

North Avenue & Howard Str.

Patapsco Avenue & 4th St.

Lombard Street & Gay St.

Reisterstown Road SB & Fallstaff Rd.

Hanover Street & Cromwell St.

Park Heights Avenue NB & Hayward Ave.

Park Heights Avenue SB & Hayward Ave.

Harford Road & North Ave.

MLK Jr. Blvd. & Pratt St.

Northern Parkway EB & Greenspring Aven.

Northern Parkway WB & Greenspring Ave.

Reisterstown Road & Menlo Dr.

Edmonson Ave. & Athol Ave. / Woodridge EB Edmonson Avenue & Athol

Ave.

Frederick Avenue & Catherine St.

Park Heights Avenue & Violet Ave.

Sinclair Lane & Moravia Rd.

Russell Street & Bayard St.

Wilkens Avenue & Desoto La.

Pratt Street & Howard St.

Northern Parkway & Waverly Way

Cold Spring Lane & Hillen Rd.

Liberty Heights Avenue & Dukeland St.

Hanover Street & Reedbird Ave.

Ft. Smallwood Road & Ft. Armistead Rd.

Wabash Avenue & Garrison Blvd.

Walther Avenue & Glenmore Ave.

Franklin Street & Cathedral St.

Perring Parkway & Belvedere Ave.

Cold Spring Lane & Roland Ave.

Cold Spring Lane & Loch Raven Blvd.

PHASE II LOCATIONS

Caton Avenue NB & Benson Ave.

Caton Avenue SB & Benson Ave.

Reisterstown Road & Druid Park Dr.

Wilkens Avenue & Pine Heights Ave.

East 33rd Street EB & The Alameda

The Alameda SB & East 33rd St.

York Road & Gittings Ave.

Potee Street & Talbot St.

Gwynns Falls Pkwy & Garrison Blvd.

Charles Street & Lake Ave.

Wabash Avenue & Belvedere Ave.

Harford Road & Walther Blvd.

Orleans Street & Linwood Ave.

Erdman Avenue EB & Macon St.

Erdman Avenue WB & Macon St.

Macon Street NB & Erdman Ave.



Department of Transportation
Charles L. Benton Building
417 E. Fayette Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

[sizemic1]

They just put some of those up in Escondido.
And I applaud the city for doing so. I have no doubt they make the city money, which in my opinion, isn't a bad thing. But mostly, i'm SO sick and tired of people BLANTANTLY running red lights in my town! My light can turn green, and I swear 2 or 3 more people will continue to make left hand turns in front of me.

The speed cameras i'm not so crazy about, luckily we don't have those here (yet).

[Merlin]

I am really surprised that these cameras don't get vandalized.

[psycho-]

They just put some of those up in Escondido.
And I applaud the city for doing so. I have no doubt they make the city money, which in my opinion, isn't a bad thing. But mostly, i'm SO sick and tired of people BLANTANTLY running red lights in my town! My light can turn green, and I swear 2 or 3 more people will continue to make left hand turns in front of me.

The speed cameras i'm not so crazy about, luckily we don't have those here (yet).

I completely agree:

Bachviet, before you complain, I want to ask you this:

have you ever seen someone dying in a car while paramedics are trying to cut the person out; just because someone didn't want to wait for the next green?

I've seen more than my fair share of those, and have almost been involved in blatant red-light running accidents; some which probably would've killed me.

In San Diego county, most of them are put in places where red light running is absolutely blatant. Most of the intersections i have seen that have red light cameras, I've also seen paramedicts use the jaws of life on some mangled car.

So, unless you're somehow justifying the legality of running a red light and possibly hitting an injuring/killing someone; I don't understand how you can complain about them.

I'd agree, but there's one of those lights here in VA near my place. It's on a highway (50) and people always go about 60 on it. They don't give enough time to stop between the yellow and red, which really sucks. If someone hit the brakes there's a good chance someone will rear end him...

Usually, yellow is designed to tell people to "slow down", not "hurry up and try to make it!"

[bachviet]

Nope I haven't seen any of those accidents yet. I'm not justifying running the red light but I'm complaining about the traffic these stupid cameras create. Like I said, the cities put these cameras at highly traffic intersections because of the revenues. I haven't heard of any deadly accidents at those intersections in Little Saigon before these cameras were installed.

BTW pple will continue to run red lights even with the cameras in place. What about those intersections without cameras?

[OC]

I'm not justifying running the red light but I'm complaining about the traffic these stupid cameras create.

Better traffic than dead people caused by arrogant negligence.

I think people that get tagged by these cameras should also be charged with reckless endangerment.

[DaFunkyUnit]

how about not peeling out when the light turns green?

[bachviet]

Better traffic than dead people caused by arrogant negligence.

I think people that get tagged by these cameras should also be charged with reckless endangerment.

So you are telling me that pple won't run red lights if cameras in place???

[OC]

So you are telling me that pple won't run red lights if cameras in place???

That's not what I said at all. People will ultimately do whatever the hell they want to. All I'm saying is that if you get caught running a red light you should pay a damned heavy price for your incredibly dangerous and negligent actions. Cars and trucks are lethal weapons and they need to be operated in a responsible manner. If people can't be trusted to do that, they should be hit hard where it hurts - their wallets and their freedom.

[guiseppewv]

They say that they put them up in the areas where they have the most accidents from running red lights. So for safety they need to cut it down. But I tend to agree with you that they are just looking for another way into my wallett.


I don't remember the exact number now because it has been a while but when I lived in Scottsdale AZ in the late 90's they rolled out the system there and the delay was in line with what you want. If you get caught on the tail end of a yellow you'd be fine. You had to pretty blatantly run the light to get caught.

If you are really afraid of this happening the best thing I could advise is to register your car under your wife's name and her car under yours (substitute names as necessary) This way when the ticket comes to one person you could go to court and say to the judge that it clearly is not you driving.

That won't work. It doesn't matter who the driver is b/c it is the owner's responsibility to pay the fine. If the owner can get the driver to pay then great, if not tough. That is what really pi$$es me off about the whole thing. Even worse is if you get nailed by the camera when you are driving a rental the rental company can charge your credit card for the infraction and you can't contest the charge or the ticket.

Besides if they were just looking out for our safety they would extend the yellow light time and make a second or two where lights are red in all directions. This is purely a money generation device.

It's called personal responsibility. If you really don't want to get caught, the solution is incredibly simple - don't rush red lights. It's no one's fault but your own if you get nailed.

Trying to find ways to get away with running red lights is pathetic.

I have gotten 1 red light ticket and it was not b/c I was running the light. The area was a 35 mph zone and the light turned yellow when I was at the "stop line", it would have been impossible to stop, needless to say I got a ticket. So it isn't always people running red lights that get the tickets.

[guiseppewv]

for anyone living in/near baltimore...just got this in an e-mail forwards a few weeks ago:

Subject: Fw: Red Light Cameras

Here is a complete list of the new traffic cameras. Safe driving!

The Phase II cameras are digital. They will send you and ticket with a picture but you will also be given an ID number where you can go online

and watch yourself running the red light. They look like glass bubbles

and will not flash as you go through the light.

PHASE I LOCATIONS

<snip>

Thanks for the info. When did these cameras go up b/c I always keep an eye out in B-more? Talk about a city that is always running in the red looking to get some more revenue.



On a side note: Do those liscense plate covers that are supposed to keep you from getting red light camera tickets actually work? Just curious.

[Merlin]

That won't work. It doesn't matter who the driver is b/c it is the owner's responsibility to pay the fine.

Last time I checked running a light was a moving violation so the citation would go to the driver, not the car. That's why they take a picture of both the plate and the driver - to prove it was you. Obviously parking tickets work as you have said but moving violations should be different.

Of course if you have personal experience to the contrary I'll defer

[navyones]

On a side note: Do those liscense plate covers that are supposed to keep you from getting red light camera tickets actually work? Just curious.

I had never heard of these covers, until I saw your post. It seems like these things would actually work. I doubt that I will buy one. I figure that I don't need to worry about it, if I don't race the light.

[OC]

I have gotten 1 red light ticket and it was not b/c I was running the light. The area was a 35 mph zone and the light turned yellow when I was at the "stop line", it would have been impossible to stop, needless to say I got a ticket. So it isn't always people running red lights that get the tickets.

Was this at a "camera" light or did you get pulled over?

[DankNstickY]

I am really surprised that these cameras don't get vandalized.

they do in other countries

[bachviet]

I had never heard of these covers, until I saw your post. It seems like these things would actually work. I doubt that I will buy one. I figure that I don't need to worry about it, if I don't race the light.

You could get ticket for the clear license plate cover.