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Red Light Camera!! what you guys think?

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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 02:35 AM
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Default Red Light Camera!! what you guys think?

So today I didn't know why I was stupid not to stop exactly before the white line on a traffic light.

I kinna stop about 2-3 feet after the line and the red light camera flashes lots of time.

However front bumper has no license plate but just the rear. So i was wondering if the the red light camera catches my rear license plate.

There was 2 camera, 1 in front and 1 at the red light. I hope the red light camera captures whats in the middle of the street. yaikz...

Last Question is, since i didn't run a red light, will I still get charged for it since the Red light camera flashes? or failure to stop before the white line?

P.s - does any1 knows how much this ticket gonna cost? thanks!
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 05:05 AM
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The cameras in most areas, at the time of the flash, also record how fast you were going at the moment, how long the light was red before you crossed the line, or whether you were stopped. If you were stopped, even inside the intersection, you may not get a ticket at all. Police go over the camera's data from each flash, look at the circumstances, and decide whether it warrants a ticket or not.

You state that you have only a rear license plate. The cameras in VA where I live only photograph the rear of the car, though VA requires front and rear plates. If the state you live in requires both front/rear plates, and the camera is set up to photograph both front and rear (unlikely), you MIGHT get a ticket for that. If the red-light infraction occurred outside of CA, and you have CA plates and registration, then the local police, of course, take that into account....they enforce local laws, not CA's.

There is a clear, spray-on substance called PhotoBlocker that is supposed to make the numbers on license plates impervious to cameras, but I don't recommend it, for two reasons. First, its legality is questionable in some areas, though traffic laws are often unclear on that as long as the numbers are clear to the naked eye. Second, even it it is legal and does work, it can make people careless and complacent about cameras and red-light-running, increasing the danger of side-impact collisions. And if a cop actually sees you run a red light and gives you a ticket, it doesn't matter, of course, whether the intersection has a camera or not.

If you actually get a ticket from this incident, you have a couple of options. You can pay it, of course, no questions asked. You can go to court and sign an affidavit stating you were not driving you car at the time; that someone else was (the camera usually doesn't photogragh the driver), but, of course, that would be a lie, and the state might want to track down the person who WAS driving it (in which case you might be in a bind, and have difficulting making your story stick). Or you can do what most people do.....go to court, explain your side of the story to the judge, and let him or her decide if a ticket is actually warranted. if the incident happened far away from home, and you get a ticket, I'd just pay it. It would cost more to go to court in a faraway place than you would save on the ticket itself, and in most cases, all you have is a fine.....there are no points on your driving record or insurance policy because the state doesn't (and can't) record who was actually driving the car. You get the ticket, as the car's registered owner, and are legally liable for the fine.

Last edited by mmarshall; Oct 2, 2008 at 05:27 AM.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 05:41 AM
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They suck, period. The town I live in has gone crazy with them. I've had three red light tickets so far = $150.00. Everyone has been while I was turning right on red. Very legal. But you have to wait 10sec after the light changes red before moving into the intersection. I tried to fight one of the tickets and when they showed the film I was stopped on the yellow and as soon as it turned red I took my right turn. Ticket paid.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 06:07 AM
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Originally Posted by HKS350
They suck, period. The town I live in has gone crazy with them. I've had three red light tickets so far = $150.00. Everyone has been while I was turning right on red. Very legal. But you have to wait 10sec after the light changes red before moving into the intersection. I tried to fight one of the tickets and when they showed the film I was stopped on the yellow and as soon as it turned red I took my right turn. Ticket paid.
Interesting...that's the first I've heard of a 10-second rule with right-on-red.

$50 a pop, though, is about average.....that's what it used to run here in VA, unless they've raised it recently.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 09:40 AM
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They generate millions and millions in profit for cities, thats fore sure. Are they effective in improving traffic accidents? I doubt it.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 10:29 AM
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i have been against red light camera ever since they were first implemented
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Jujharoo
They generate millions and millions in profit for cities, thats fore sure. Are they effective in improving traffic accidents? I doubt it.
They decrease red-light running and increase rear-end collisions.

You get people who SLAM on their brakes as soon as the light turns yellow.

I had an incident a while ago where the person in front of me stopped VERY abruptly. I was able to stop in time, the person behind me stopped in time (just barely) but, the person behind them...not so much.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 10:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Habious
They decrease red-light running and increase rear-end collisions.

You get people who SLAM on their brakes as soon as the light turns yellow.

I had an incident a while ago where the person in front of me stopped VERY abruptly. I was able to stop in time, the person behind me stopped in time (just barely) but, the person behind them...not so much.
exactly. every day i go home i pass by this "famous" intersaction with redlight cameras everywhere. it's funny to see how people literally "SLOW DOWN" before the red light to make sure if they are good to go, and as soon as you see yellow, people are jamming on the brakes like no tomorrow.

so instead of red-yellow-green, where yellow is the "buffering", we have red-green light now.

how safe
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 11:18 AM
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my dad taught me a trick.. he said if you run the red light... reverse and do it again... and again... than take it to court and say the camera was ****** up and took pics for no reason....

worked in israel not sure if it would work here...
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 12:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Shlomboy
my dad taught me a trick.. he said if you run the red light... reverse and do it again... and again... than take it to court and say the camera was ****** up and took pics for no reason....

worked in israel not sure if it would work here...

there's a time stamp. it won't fly.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 01:23 PM
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Originally Posted by Habious
They decrease red-light running and increase rear-end collisions.

You get people who SLAM on their brakes as soon as the light turns yellow.
They do incease rear-end impacts, but markedly decrease side-impacts (known as "T-Bones). T-Bones, in general, are considered more dangerous, and they injure and kill more people.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 01:48 PM
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i don't think i could support just straight red-light cameras, but in Torrance, left-turn red-light cameras would be great. There are just TOO many cars that are still entering the intersection even when the light is red--on the average even 5-6 cars pass AFTER the oncoming traffic's light has turned green.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 04:17 PM
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LA has a two car left turn "rule". After the light turns red, two is ok.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by HKS350
They suck, period. The town I live in has gone crazy with them. I've had three red light tickets so far = $150.00. Everyone has been while I was turning right on red. Very legal. But you have to wait 10sec after the light changes red before moving into the intersection. I tried to fight one of the tickets and when they showed the film I was stopped on the yellow and as soon as it turned red I took my right turn. Ticket paid.
My friend got one of those turning on red lights tickets - send him a link so he could watch it himself.

I didn't think there was a 10 second rule however. I was at an intersection the other night with my Mother in-law behind me - I waited and then went. I'm not sure she realized it was a red light camera intersection and I think she blew through it. I suppose it is my fault for not waiting for the light to just turn green.
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Old Oct 2, 2008 | 05:14 PM
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texas DOT did a study where increasing the yellow light duration actually decreased accidents at the intersection more than red light cameras
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