Every Camera Enforced Intersection DOES NOT Have Warning Signs 

The California Vehicle Code only requires that warning signs be posted to notify drivers of camera enforced intersections and that these signs be posted either at all approaches to the intersection or at all main entrances into a city including (freeways, bridges, and state highway routes).

Have you ever wondered why there are photo enforced warning signs for red light cameras at some intersections but not all them? The vehicle code VC§ 21455.5 says (a) (1), “Warning signs must be posted at each camera-equipped intersection and visible to traffic approaching from all directions, or at all the main entrances to town including, at a minimum, freeways, bridges, and state highway routes." The purpose of this law is to make sure that drivers are warned in all instances where there is red light camera enforcement.

Many times you will see warning signs posted right next to the traffic signal light, however not always. Sometimes warning signs might even be posted at the previous, non- camera enforced intersection which can be misleading or cause confusion. So while a City may not be in violation of the Vehicle Code requirements if they don’t have warning signs placed at the intersection (since they have a choice in the placement), if any signs you do find are blocked or damaged in a such a way you can’t see them, then you may have something that can help you in getting your ticket dismissed because warning signs do have to be reasonably visible. Be sure to take pictures of the signs to show they are not visible and take them to court with you or include them with your Trial by Written Declaration if you choose to fight your ticket in writing using form TR-205 (available at your local courthouse).

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Even if Los Angeles Shuts Down Red Light Don’t Forget About the Ticket You Already Have

The Los Angeles City Council has announced plans to stop using cameras to enforce red light violators at numerous intersections throughout the city. While many are rejoicing that the cameras may be shut down by the end of June, don’t forget about the red light camera ticket you currently have!

The program ending would prevent future red light camera tickets from being issued. However, don’t assume that any current red light camera tickets you have from the City of Los Angeles will just automatically vanish. If the current red light camera system ends these tickets will still be prosecuted. To avoid potential problems just be sure to follow up on any outstanding tickets. You can always check the status of your ticket on the court website to see if it is still active or closed. Remember, if the ticket is already filed and active with the court before the city’s red light program ends (assuming it does) then it may not automatically be dropped. If you don’t follow up on the ticket it may go to collections or affect you negatively in other ways if the DMV is notified (LA courts exercise their own discretion and can choose to refer your information to a collections agency OR the DMV OR Both, although it is rumored they usually stick with the first option).

We would like your opinion as well if you think LA LA should shut down the cameras?  Was Los Angeles losing money on red light cameras?  A few non-profits have raised the question of whether photo enforcement is a legitimate use of city and law enforcement resources considering the recent acknowledgement by the LAPD and LADOT that intersections have been made safer due to signal timing enhancements alone.

Contribute by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Related Stories:
What If You Don't Pay Your Red Light Camera Ticket

How Do Changes to Traffic School Laws Will Affect Those With Multiple Red Light Camera Tickets?

There is a new law effective July 1, 2011 that will affect California Traffic School laws. Say you get multiple red light camera tickets within an 18 month period, well there will no longer be the possibility of taking traffic school more than once. Whereas before repeat violators could still take a Traffic School course if the court allowed it, now the courts will no longer be able to exercise this type of discretion.

The law will no longer allow superior courts to “mask” a conviction as a dismissal after traffic school is taken IF there is already a “masked” conviction on a person’s record within the previous 18 months. So you are still allowed one in 18 months, but there is no chance you can do Traffic School multiple times any more.

Basically the purpose of the law is to prevent the Courts from allowing repeat violators more than one Traffic School dismissal within 18 months, so drivers should be aware of this new law, always remember to drive safely, and take special caution at camera enforced intersections.

Blog contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets.

Constitutionality of Red Light Cameras Being Scrutinized Once Again

Since the development of automated traffic enforcement questions have been raised by students of criminal justice and others, and lawsuits have been launched to challenge the constitutionality and fairness of these systems.  Give us your feedback below.

Just last month, an attorney in Orlando Florida spoke out it court arguing the red-light camera law is unconstitutional. For a long time running, many have felt the system robs individuals ticketed of the constitutional rights to due process and equal protection under the law. It is rumored that several other attorneys with clients that have received a red light camera ticket will also go to court this June to argue their cases. This could be the beginning of a statewide revolt against red light cameras that could certainly turn nationwide if word gets around to enough disgruntled motorists

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets.If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

What should you do when a photo enforced camera ticket has an unclear photo of you?

Those red light cameras tickets you receive in the mail can be tricky to deal with. Many find themselves stuck with a ticket that says they were the driver but doesn’t actually have clear photo of the driver’s face.

If you receive a ticket in the mail that says you were the driver but it doesn’t have a clear picture of your face it can be frustrating because without a clear picture how can you even tell yourself if it was you driving? There is a way you can send in a form saying that someone else was the driver, but with a blurry picture how can you tell who it is.

You could of course go into court and let a judge see for himself that there is no possible way you could be identified as the driver based on the picture on the ticket. You could also explain to a judge that you can’t identify anyone else as the driver because of the poor picture quality. But going into court can be a hassle and scary for some, so it’s much easier to handle situations like this without going into court, with a Trial by Written Declaration. Using a Trial by Written Declaration you can explain the situation and even include a recent photograph of yourself for the judge to use as a comparison to the picture of the driver on the ticket. In situations like this there is a good chance your ticket will be dismissed.

Blog contributed by TicketBust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets.
If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Do Cameras Shutting Down Have Any Affect on Your Current Red Light Photo Ticket?

It is rumored that the red light camera system for the city of San Bernardino (not the County of San Bernardino, just the City) is supposed to be shut down starting in June of this year. What you shouldn’t do is assume that any current red light ticket you have from the City of San Bernardino will just automatically “go away” once the red light camera system ends.

Even though there won’t be any more red light tickets issued in San Bernardino after June, be sure to take care of any outstanding tickets, because any tickets where the date of the violation is before June 1, should still be valid. For example the date of the violation may be May 31, even if you don’t get the courtesy notice till July, it’s still a valid ticket because the violation occurred before the city’s red light program ended. Remember that the program is only supposed to turn off cameras in the City of San Bernardino, so still be wary of the camera enforced intersections through San Bernardino County where the cameras are still turned on.

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Bicyclists and Red Light Cameras

Most bicyclists are not aware that the motor vehicle code applies to them since they are not technically driving a motor vehicle. “Motor vehicle” would normally not be expected to include a device moved exclusively by human power.

Bicyclists however can be cited for a red light ticket under the California Vehicle Code due to the fact that by statute every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division.

Although a bicyclist could technically be ticketed by Red Light Camera, there is the sheer fact that bicycles do not have a plate on them so the driver of the bicycle cannot be tracked.

State Assemblyman Michael Den Dekker in New York has introduced legislation that, poses the idea of requiring all bicycles to have a license plate, and placing cameras in the bike lanes, so that when a bicycle goes through a red light, they could be tracked down and issued a ticket essentially like registered owners of cars are tracked down and issued a ticket.

There doesn’t appear to be any similar pending legislation in California like that in New York, however bicyclists in California do face hefty fines if ticketed by an officer (though no demerit points to their motor vehicle driving record).

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets.If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Unusual Practice Used by Sacramento Superior Court for Those Wanting to Contest a Red Light Camera Ticket in Writing

In California, anyone who receives a ticket for a traffic infraction can have the option to fight the ticket without going to court through a process called a Trial by Written Declaration. This is authorized by the California Vehicle Code, under section 40902 (a) (1). For those who receive a red light camera ticket, contesting the ticket through mail is a lot more appealing then showing up in person in court where there is an officer with a binder from the camera company who will testify on the workings of the red light camera.

When a person contacts a court to request a Trial by Declaration, the court will send you the necessary state approved forms for a Trial by Written Declaration (TR-205) and instructions. However if your red light camera ticket is filed with the Superior Court of Sacramento, this court tries to make it more difficult for you to contest your red light ticket with a Trial by Declaration.

The Sacramento Superior Court has a local form called a “Red Light Camera Statement of Identification” which states that “Without admitting guilt, I stipulate that I was the driver of the vehicle pictured in the automated enforcement photograph”. The form itself does not state anywhere that it is mandatory it be filled out, and in fact the court website even only states, “...please complete the Red Light Camera Statement of Identification” (notice the use of the word please instead of must). However, if you don’t complete this you could receive a notice of non compliance or ineligibility after filing your Trial by Declaration paperwork and be dropped from the courts Trial by Declaration Calendar.

If you are not allowed to proceed with a Trial by Declaration then your only option is a court trial (outside of just paying the fine and accepting the points going on your record). But what if it is not convenient for you to appear in court because of your work schedule or the distance you live from the court? What if you were not the driver, but do not know who the driver is or you do know who the driver is but don’t want to turn them in? Should you be prevented from using a Trial by Declaration simply because you cannot state under penalty of perjury that you were the driver?

With this unusual practice, the court is essentially saying that in order to avoid being dropped from the Trial by Declaration calendar, you must at least stipulate to one of the elements of the crime (identity – being the driver) which is an element that is supposed to be proved by the police department issuing the ticket, or your case will not be adjudicated (at least not by Trial by Declaration to which you have a right to contest your ticket by under 40902 (a) (1)). This unusual (dare say unfair or unjust) practice has been in use for some time and those who are concerned about the matter might consider writing to or calling the head judge in Sacramento or the head office for all California courts in San Francisco.

Article contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Automated Traffic Enforcement of Seatbelt Law

Unlike Arizona, California drivers cannot be ticketed for not wearing a seatbelt if their vehicle is photographed going through a red light. In Arizona for example if a driver is cited for the primary violation of running a red light or speeding, they can also be cited for a secondary violation like a seatbelt ticket or a ticket for expired registration. Californians are still only ticketed the old fashioned way, by an officer, for a seatbelt or expired registration ticket. It's a good thing too, because a red light camera ticket yields upwards of $400.00 plus a point or more on your driving record. To be ticketed for a seatbelt ticket in addition to the red light ticket would yield another $100 plus, as well as a point on your driving record. Drivers should always practice safe driving habits which would include wearing a seatbelt, but for now California drivers can rest easy as they will not be ticketed for a seatbelt ticket by a camera.

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets.If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Improper Right or Left Turn on Green Light Can Result in Camera Ticket

Although there has been talk in California about allowing traffic camera enforcement to be used for speeding, it is not yet allowed. What is allowed is red light camera enforcement of course, but also the automated enforcement of certain turns made at an intersection.

The California Vehicle Code section (40518) authorizing the use of a mailed notice to appear does include violations of 22101 recorded by an automated enforcement system and California Vehicle Code section 22101 does cover violations such as right or left hand turns that are prohibited by signs, disobeying traffic control devices, and other turning movements regulated by signs or marked traffic lanes.

That’s right, you enter the intersection legally on a green light, but you might be making an illegal or improper turn. For that you could still get a surprise ticket mailed to you with a picture of you making that turn and for that you may get a hefty fine.

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

If You’re Caught on Camera for a Red Light Violation and You Were also on the Phone Can You Get a Ticket for Both?

If you’ve ever found yourself traveling through an intersection or turning at an intersection and being blinded by the flashing lights of the Automated Traffic Enforcement System at the same time as when you were on the phone, you may be worried that you will get a ticket for the cell phone violation as well as the red light violation. Well the good news is that so far, the vehicle section that authorizes a Notice to Appear to be mailed instead of handed to you by an officer, does not include the vehicle code section for cell phone use or texting while driving. So while you should always adhere to safe driving practices, you can rest assured that red light camera enforcement systems are not yet being used to also ticket drivers for cell phone violations. In any event, if an officer sees you on the phone, look out because with increased fines in California, the base fine (fine before other added court fees) for a cell phone violation used to be $20+ and it is now $80+. See the Cell Phone Ticket Laws in other states.

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

If you receive ticket a notice in the mail issued to you by a police department or even an out of state camera company what you shouldn’t do is freely give them information requested of you. Often times these notices are sent out to fish for information like your driver’s license number and to get you to tell on yourself (or someone else) for a red light violation.  These are known as snitch tickets.

A red flag should go up if you were not the driver, if you don’t see a due date, a fine amount, and if you don’t see a court house listed on the notice. If you’re still unsure, check the notice for the city and county where the violation allegedly occurred (this will be on the front side of the notice listed along with information like the location and violation code). You can then go to the Superior court website for that county and many courts allow you to do an online search for your ticket and fine information. You may be able to search by your driver’s license, last name, or violation number. You could also try calling the court you think the ticket would have been issued in and inquire with a traffic clerk as to whether there is a ticket issued to you in their system, most likely there will not be.

If not then in that case, the ticket hasn’t been filed or registered with the court yet so it’s not an official ticket. Before you just roll over and comply with the first notice, you may want to wait and see if you ever do get a notice from the court, because you may not. If you don’t fill out the back of the first notice and send it back to the agency requesting the information from you then they won’t have enough to pin the ticket on you and a get a real ticket issued to you through the court.

If you’re not sure of how to handle a red light photo ticket notice you received, before you do anything, it’s a good idea to consult with a professional who is well seasoned with dealing with red light camera tickets. Remember, a ticket that hasn’t been filed or registered with the court yet is not an official ticket and may never become one if you don’t help them by tattling on yourself.

Contribued by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Will More Cities Follow Victorville’s Lead and Start Dismissing Cases? At least three red light camera tickets issued in the city of Victorville have been thrown out by judges in San Bernardino Superior Court.

The city of Victorville has contracted with Redflex, an Arizona based, red light camera manufacturer, but as a result of court decisions proclaiming photographic evidence generated from the Redflex camera system as inadmissible evidence, the city is trying to get out of the contract. There are only 10 cameras left turned on in Victorville (out of the original 16) however if court decisions keep going the way they are going, Redflex may have to let Victorville out of its contract and Victorville could turn off the remaining 10 cameras making many citizens happy. In fact, according to the VVDailyPress.com, Victorville’s contract with Redflex allows Victorville to get out of the contract if “any court having jurisdiction over city rules...that results from the Redflex System of photo enforcement are inadmissible in evidence”.

A common factor in a lot of these Redflex camera ticket cases that have been dismissed is that no one from the Arizona based Redflex company attends the trials, the company instead sends a written statement as to how its systems work and an officer from the issuing city testifies on his training about how the system works and the photographic evidence presented. Many judges are refusing to consider this a proper way to authenticate the evidence (photos and videos). There is at least one published court case that discusses this same issue, People v. Khaled.

This leaves us to beg the question, will more and more judges follow the same lead these San Bernardino Superior court judges have taken and will more and more cities take Victorville’s lead in ending the use of these controversial camera enforcement systems?

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets.  If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Every wonder why there are warning signs for red light cameras at some intersections but not all? According to VC§ 21455.5(a) (1), “Warning signs must be posted at each camera-equipped intersection and visible to traffic approaching from all directions, or at all the main entrances to town including, at a minimum, freeways, bridges, and state highway routes." The purpose of the law is obviously to make sure that drivers are warned in all instances where there is red light camera enforcement, and the seemingly most obvious way to warn a driver is to post a warning sign say overhead on a traffic signal head, but the law doesn’t require it.

The law does require that warning signs be posted, but the law gives cities the choice in where to post the signs and the law is vague as to how CLOSE to the intersection the signs have to be posted (provided the city decides to post the signs at the intersection). According to the Cal Trans design the signs must be at least 30 inches wide by 40 inches high and 6 feet off the ground but there is no requirement as to the distance a sign must be posted in relation to an intersection. Warning signs will not always be posted right at an intersection so drivers should be on the lookout for such signs when entering a city or exiting from a freeway off ramp. If you do get a red light photo ticket you should go back and search for warning signs and if you can’t find any where they are supposed to be or the signs are there but they are not the right size or are blocked or damaged in such a way that they are not visible, then take photographs so you can dispute the ticket. If the signs weren’t posted in accordance with the law (VC§ 21455.5(a) (1) ) then as a result you weren’t given the required notice and more importantly, a foundational requirement (warning signs) for the camera enforcement system is lacking. - blog submitted by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets.

If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit www.fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

State Laws vs City Laws

Here is a list of fifteen US States that have banned the use of red light cameras.  Most State laws prohibit the use of new photo enforcement locations by cities and municipalities who might be considering it.  However,  there are a few cities that were using cameras before the State law was passed and the camera usage maybe grandfathered in.  It remains to be seen what will happen if States begin to pass laws banning cameras if they will require cities to remove them.  For example, the state of Florida used the State law to ban the cameras but they are still widely used in many cities.  Could this be a dirty legal tactic for the States to get leverage in order participate in the revenue share with the municipality?  I suspect were are going to see more State legislatures passing laws that ban the cameras simply to use this as leverage to share in the State revenue with the City.   Here are the States below that have passed laws banning them from 1995 - 2010. 

Wisconsin 1995 
Utah 1996 
Alaska 1997 
Nebraska 1999 
Nevada 1999 
Arkansas 2005 
New Hampshire 2006 
West Virginia 2006 
Michigan 2007 
Minnesota 2007 
Indiana 2008 
Maine 2009 
Mississippi 2009 
Montana 2009 
South Carolina 2010  

Sioux Falls South Dakota

The South Dakota state House Committee on the Judiciary threw its support Monday behind a statewide ban on red light traffic cameras. The committee voted 10-3 to send HB 1161 to the full House. If passed, the bill from Rep. Peggy Gibson, D-Huron, would ban the use of automated traffic enforcement at all intersections in South Dakota. Fifteen states and at least 10 cities have banned the camera systems, and she argued that the people in South Dakota shouldn't have to wait for more cities to install cameras before acting in their interest.

Read more information about South Dakota's brewing State ban.

Ticketbust.com assisted in dismissing this red light camera ticket for a client who wanted to know how Tickebust got his ticket dismissed and you may want to know too!

Red light camera tickets are best dismissed if attacked from a technical based standpoint; after all it is a machine that ticketed you not an officer. And there are certain rules and requirements that are necessary to be present (or need to have been followed) in order for the red light camera ticket to be successfully held up in court against you.

For example there are rules regarding the length of yellow lights at camera enforced intersection, rules regarding how or when the actual notice of a red light camera violation is mailed out to the suspect violator, rules regarding what type of warning must be given about the presence or installation of a red light camera at an intersection, and rules regarding the types of fee arrangements cities having red light camera enforced intersections within their limits may have with private companies that manufacture and maintain the red light cameras.

At Ticketbust.com they understand how these red light camera tickets work and we know the ins and outs to maximize your chances of getting out of a ticket like this. In this client’s case, Ticketbust.com prepared a customized Trial by Written Declaration that discussed the rules and requirements of red light cameras, pointed out errors on the prepared traffic ticket he received in the mail, and reasoned that based on the surrounding circumstances at the time he was photographed turning, he could not have posed a safety hazard to anyone. All in all, Ticketbust.com was able to help him successfully contest and dismiss his traffic ticket without him ever having to step foot into court.

Ticketbust.com has helped over 27, 000 drivers contest their traffic tickets and just like this valued client, we can help you too. The next time you get a traffic ticket in California go to our web site at Ticketbust.com or call us at 800-850-8038.

What You Should Know About Red Light Camera Tickets

Next time you get a red light ticket remember this. Red light camera tickets are very different from say a red light ticket handed to you by an officer. With a red light camera ticket, there is no “your word against the officer”. With a red light ticket issued by an officer you have to try and convince the court that the officer did not have a clear line of sight to your car, to the limit line for the red light, or the red light itself, at the time you went through the light. Red light camera tickets on the other hand are best dismissed if attacked from a technical based standpoint; after all it is a machine that ticketed you not an officer. And there are certain rules and requirements that are necessary to be present (or need to have been followed) in order for the red light camera ticket to be successfully held up in court against you. 

For example there are rules regarding the length of yellow lights at camera enforced intersection, rules regarding how or when the actual notice of a red light camera violation is mailed out to the suspect violator, rules regarding what type of warning must be given about the presence or installation of a red light camera at an intersection, and rules regarding the types of fee arrangements cities having red light camera enforced intersections within their limits may have with private companies that manufacture and maintain the red light cameras. There is a lot of information out there available on the internet, so read about how these red light camera tickets work and learn what the rules are relating to them so that you can maximize your chances of getting out of a ticket like this. 

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

Drives Should Be Wary of Short Yellow Lights at Camera Enforced Intersections

If you get a red light photo ticket one of the things you should do right away is go back to the location of the intersection listed on the ticket and time the yellow light. Many times cities employ too short yellow lights which results in more people running red lights (and increased revenue) because they couldn’t stop in time- and you need to make sure this didn’t happen to you.

Go back to the intersection with a stop watch and from the time it turns from green to yellow, begin timing until it changes from yellow to red. You’ll want to do this a few times for accuracy. Jot down the yellow time and then make your comparisons.

The length of the yellow light cannot be just arbitrary. The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (“MUTCD”), prescribes uniform standards for all official traffic control devices in California and the MUTCD section 4D-10 and Table 4D-102(CA), sets forth the minimum time for traffic signal yellow light change intervals. Section 4D-10 also provides that the time for a yellow light change interval may be increased through field review and appropriate judgment of the local agency. The MUTCD is very clear that increasing the yellow light interval above the minimum prescribed in the same section is an option and in no manner a requirement. Decreasing the yellow light interval below the minimum however, is not an option.

Check the Table (Table 4D-102) to see if the yellow light change interval at your intersection is non- compliant. Here are a couple examples of minimum yellow light times:

• If the posted speed limit is 25 (or less) mph the minimum yellow interval is 3.0 seconds (this includes both right and left hand turns).
* If the posted speed limit is 35 mph the minimum yellow interval is 3.6 seconds.
• If the posted speed limit is 45 mph the minimum yellow interval is 4.3 seconds.

Contributed by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. If you get cited for a red light photo ticket, contact us at www.TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit www.Combatesuticket.com or call (818) 584-3689. For more information on how TicketBust can help to beat your cell phone ticket, visit fightcellphonetickets.com or call (800) 850-8038.

So many big US mapping companies ask me what I think is a really stupid question:  Is it illegal in the US to publish red light camera or speed camera locations?  The answer is emphatically NO! There is one reason why.  Free Speech which is the first amendment in the US Amendment in the constitution protects citizens and businesses from this fact. Would the US Federal or State Governments ever ask companies like Google, Navteq or TeleAtals to not publishing the location data?  I continually ask myself why I have been gathering this data for the last 10+ years yet US mapping companies are still afraid of publishing the information?

You have to ask yourself why these well educated people and businessmen are asking this question?  As I am told it is currently illegal in German to publish red light camera and speed camera locations and use a warning device while driving. Police officers reportedly have the right to take about your navigation device or smartphone if they see you using an application that warns you of these locations.  Sounds a bit strange does it?  I would suspect that these laws would give a company like BMW some hesitation if they were considering to use this data for their in car navigation experiences.

Well, it turns out that this conservative thinking of not wanting to publishing the information has trickled down to navigation, map and big car companies.  These companies don't want to be perceived as helping their drivers evade the law when in reality it actually helps them drive safer.  Why, because it is a known fact that other drivers tend to do erratic things when they see warning signs or cameras.  There are proven examples that people tend to slow down suddenly hitting the brakes.  So as a result more fender bender accidents are created.