Spin Off - Do you have any red light cameras where you live?

[ronandannette]

Some others have mentioned speeding cameras. I haven't heard of those before, thankfully we don't have any here!

The most frustrating thing is that they are just 100% a cash-grab and do very little to actually deter speeding or increase traffic safety. You never even know where they are (or were) until a ticket shows up in the mail. I suppose an argument can be made that nobody should ever exceed the speed limit anywhere but I think actually being pulled over and having a ticket issued makes a greater impact on people.

 

[China Expat]

We need them in So Cal. It is beyond dangerous driving around here due to red light runners, speeders, and more.

 

[bcla]

I think there used to be a few around here. However, I live in the suburbs with a lot of different jurisdictions that have different policies. I think there have been some that were installed but not removed but also not operational. I see a lot of smaller cameras that may just be used as traffic monitoring cameras, but probably aren't detailed enough to catch a license plate.

I do remember one intersection that clearly had a red light camera. I never got anywhere close to running a red there, but it was pretty obvious. It had some rather large cameras in big boxes mounted on poles, as well as flashes. I'd seen a few cars that were close to or obviously running a red, and there would usually be something like 3 to 5 flashes going off in rapid succession.

 

[slo]

None here and I wish there was - our town could benefit from them.

 

[LovesTimone]

I live in Winter Garden, Florida...

Yes, red light cameras, and most diffidently in Orlando!!!

Our friends rented a car and got hit with around 400.00 in redlight camera fees... He said he didn't think because it was a rental car he would get hit with the charge... surprise...

 

[EACarlson]

I've not heard of any in WI, in MN they had to stop using them. The court has ruled that the cameras only identify the vehicle and not the driver, which means the police can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt who committed the infraction.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Yup. My SO received a ticket in the mail with the pictures to prove it. You could clearly see his face.

 

[goofyernmost]

Photo evidence or not "it wasnt me"

I don't care if it is on HD video and my face appeared in it, I was not even close to that area. Fake News!

 

[mrodgers]

Orlando has a double whammy on traffic: The usual numb-nuts who drive like crazy, and tourists who don't really known where they're going.

We have witnessed some pretty insane traffic with many "near-misses" on our trips. And yes, we are tourists, but we're pretty familiar getting around to the places we need to on our WDW trips.
I'm amazed by the locals who are brazen about high speed high jinks knowing that a tourist could swerve into their lane at any moment.

Like I've said before in threads like these, while going through Orlando people were passing us when I said to my wife, "You said you've never been in a car over 100mph, well, you have now." When after telling her we were doing 104 she asked why we were doing 104, "Because if we were doing 105 the car will shut down." People were actually passing us and I was actually doing 104, per the speedometer.

 

[goofyernmost]

I live in Winter Garden, Florida...

Yes, red light cameras, and most diffidently in Orlando!!!

Our friends rented a car and got hit with around 400.00 in redlight camera fees... He said he didn't think because it was a rental car he would get hit with the charge... surprise...

Should have figured out that the fines are going to be sent to the rental company. They, in turn, know who they rented the car too and will supply whatever information needed or the rental company will charge the renters CC. The do that with many camera monitored toll roads as well. Drive a rental car on one of those roads and the company will just charge your CC.

I've not heard of any in WI, in MN they had to stop using them. The court has ruled that the cameras only identify the vehicle and not the driver, which means the police can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt who committed the infraction.

Most courts would not care if it was the owner or someone else. The owner would have allowed that individual to use the car so it becomes their responsibility and up to them to get them to pay or inform the authorities of the details of the actual driver. I can see where they might think that they have no recourse but car owners are held responsible almost everywhere unless the car was taken without permission. I can't see how it can get any simpler then that.

 

[mrodgers]

We don't have speed or traffic light cameras. I don't live in a big city, traffic is reasonable (aside from me complaining about all the traffic because it use to be near 0 traffic...) Last year, they did post a speed camera in the construction zone. Everyone seems to be reasonable in construction zones here anyways, rarely do I see more than 5 over through a construction zone.

I do however get a horn behind me blasting at me on 3-4 occasions a year as I sit while the light turned green coming out on the main road at the light. I usually have my window down, even in winter, so I just point out at the truck blasting through the red that I could see coming and knew it was going to run through before mine even turned green.

 

[EACarlson]

Most courts would not care if it was the owner or someone else. The owner would have allowed that individual to use the car so it becomes their responsibility and up to them to get them to pay or inform the authorities of the details of the actual driver. I can see where they might think that they have no recourse but car owners are held responsible almost everywhere unless the car was taken without permission. I can't see how it can get any simpler then that.

And yet the courts in MN and the state legislature have said that photo only enforcement is illegal.
No it's not the owner's responsibility, it is the responsibility of the law enforcement agency to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed by a specific person.
How can it get simpler? If the LEO witnesses the violation, or the person admits to the violation. If a photo of the violation is not good enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, then there is no evidence of a violation.

 

[mom2rtk]

Should have figured out that the fines are going to be sent to the rental company. They, in turn, know who they rented the car too and will supply whatever information needed or the rental company will charge the renters CC. The do that with many camera monitored toll roads as well. Drive a rental car on one of those roads and the company will just charge your CC.

Most courts would not care if it was the owner or someone else. The owner would have allowed that individual to use the car so it becomes their responsibility and up to them to get them to pay or inform the authorities of the details of the actual driver. I can see where they might think that they have no recourse but car owners are held responsible almost everywhere unless the car was taken without permission. I can't see how it can get any simpler then that.

So a car owner could get points on their license when they weren’t even in the car?

 

[RedAngie]

So a car owner could get points on their license when they weren’t even in the car?

Sure. Don’t let ANYBODY else drive your car unless you’re willing to face the consequences.
———————————————————
All the boo-hooers saying photo evidence is no good. Gimme a f-ing break. You damn well know you were in the wrong.

i bet those people rail against others not taking responsibility for their actions, yet change their tunes quickly when they become “victims.”

Grow a pair and stop making excuses and looking for loopholes.

 

[PlainJane]

The most frustrating thing is that they are just 100% a cash-grab and do very little to actually deter speeding or increase traffic safety. You never even know where they are (or were) until a ticket shows up in the mail. I suppose an argument can be made that nobody should ever exceed the speed limit anywhere but I think actually being pulled over and having a ticket issued makes a greater impact on people.

I'm glad we don't have the speeding ones. I don't mind the red light ones. To drive the speed limit requires the cooperation of those around you. I was, briefly, going 15 over in the right hand lane of an 8 lane interstate yesterday because that was the flow of traffic. I had to slow down over the course of a mile to get to the speed limit. I couldn't just throw on my breaks and hope for the best. When there is a cop on the side of the road suddenly everyone remembers the speed limit again.

Our red light camera violations are reviewed by a cop, so no one gets a ticket if it wasn't a real offense that a cop would have stopped someone for. I see the camera flash every once and awhile, so definitely not empty boxes.

 

[EACarlson]

Sure. Don’t let ANYBODY else drive your car unless you’re willing to face the consequences.
———————————————————
All the boo-hooers saying photo evidence is no good. Gimme a f-ing break. You damn well know you were in the wrong.

i bet those people rail against others not taking responsibility for their actions, yet change their tunes quickly when they become “victims.”

Grow a pair and stop making excuses and looking for loopholes.

The backbone of american jurisprudence is "innocent until proven guilty" The government must prove you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If you have cameras like the ones that used to be in Minneapolis, they very rarely got an identification level photo of the driver. I have two vehicles in my name in my driveway, neither one of which I drive on a regular basis. Why am I getting a ticket because the government is too lazy to put an actual cop there to give out the tickets?

 

[Dan Murphy]

So a car owner could get points on their license when they weren’t even in the car?

The backbone of american jurisprudence is "innocent until proven guilty" The government must prove you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If you have cameras like the ones that used to be in Minneapolis, they very rarely got an identification level photo of the driver. I have two vehicles in my name in my driveway, neither one of which I drive on a regular basis. Why am I getting a ticket because the government is too lazy to put an actual cop there to give out the tickets?

From Chicago red light FAQ page

Why does the violation go to the car’s registered owner?

As the registered owner of the vehicle, one has a legal responsibility for all parking fines and non-moving violations assigned to your vehicle. This new system is similar to Chicago's parking ticket system. If you loan your car to a friend, a relative or a child, you assume that person will obey the law while driving.

Are red light camera violations considered a moving violation?

No. They are administrative violations, similar to a parking ticket.

 

[MamaMermaid]

We have a ton.

 

[mom2rtk]

From Chicago red light FAQ page

Why does the violation go to the car’s registered owner?

As the registered owner of the vehicle, one has a legal responsibility for all parking fines and non-moving violations assigned to your vehicle. This new system is similar to Chicago's parking ticket system. If you loan your car to a friend, a relative or a child, you assume that person will obey the law while driving.

Are red light camera violations considered a moving violation?

No. They are administrative violations, similar to a parking ticket.

I think whether it is a moving violation is being worked out in various cities. So it appears that in Chicago at least, there would be no points involved. That changes the matter quite a bit.

 

[ronandannette]

I'm glad we don't have the speeding ones. I don't mind the red light ones. To drive the speed limit requires the cooperation of those around you. I was, briefly, going 15 over in the right hand lane of an 8 lane interstate yesterday because that was the flow of traffic. I had to slow down over the course of a mile to get to the speed limit. I couldn't just throw on my breaks and hope for the best. When there is a cop on the side of the road suddenly everyone remembers the speed limit again.

Our red light camera violations are reviewed by a cop, so no one gets a ticket if it wasn't a real offense that a cop would have stopped someone for. I see the camera flash every once and awhile, so definitely not empty boxes.

Our provincial traffic laws don't allow for photo-radar on highways, only on roadways that are within municipal jurisdiction so that's basically what you would probably recognize as a "surface streets" within towns and cities. And that's what makes them all the more frustrating - we're basically talking about tickets for going 35 mph in 30 mph zones.