Motorists Beware Camera Enforcement Systems Can Ticket For More Than Just a Red Light

Whenever someone mentions they got one of those “photo tickets” in the mail, everyone would assume it’s a red light photo ticket. However a red light violation is not the only thing that Camera Enforcement Systems can be used for.

One should be especially wary at rail road crossings. The vehicle code section governing stops at railroad crossings states in part: “The driver of any vehicle or pedestrian approaching a railroad or rail transit grade crossing shall stop not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail and shall not proceed until he or she can do so safely...”

Furthermore it states this relating to camera enforcement: “Whenever a railroad or rail transit crossing is equipped with an automated enforcement system, a notice of a violation of this section is subject to the procedures provided in Section 40518.”

What this means in a nutshell is that a ticket for failing to stop at a rail road crossing can be mailed to you just like a ticket for failing to stop at a red light, so drive careful you never know who (what?) is watching.

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.

The California Legislature Intends to Allow Street-Sweeper Automated Enforcement Systems: Assembly Bill 2567-blog submitted by ticketbust.com, helping drivers contest and dismiss their traffic tickets. The intent of this Bill introduced by Assembly Member Bradford this year, is to allow a parking citation for street sweeping violation to be issued, much like a red light camera ticket. The ticket would be mailed to the registered owner of any vehicle parked during designated hours of operation for a street-sweeping parking lane, supposedly unless the vehicle is parked after the street is cleaned (even if this is during the restricted hours).

Just like the law for red light camera tickets, there would be a required public announcement of the automated parking enforcement system, a required 30-day grace period where only warning notices are mailed, only a designated and qualified employee could review the photos and the photo evidence would be confidential and available only to public agencies to enforce parking violations, and the ticket would have to be mailed to the registered owner within 15 days of the violation date. Just like with red light camera tickets, the registered owner would be given the opportunity to fill out and send back an affidavit of non-liability.  The City of Boulder, Colorado already uses the parking ticket photo enforcement system.

The legislature’s reasoning is that street-sweepers collect excess pollutants from roads and streets like trash and chemicals which provides environmental and sanitation benefits which protects the environment and contributes to the general health of the people. According to an analysis by the District of Columbia Department of Public Works, a street-sweeper in a one mile range can remove approximately 10 pounds of oil and grease, pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus, and heavy metals. And the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works submitted a technical report in 2004 pushing for stricter enforcement of "no parking" regulations and street-sweeping to help prevent harmful pollutants from entering storm water drains.

Street-sweepers play an important role in society but is the legislature going too far in allowing for the installation of camera enforcement systems on street-sweepers? It seems there’s no end to what automated enforcement can be used for.- 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 TicketBust.com or call us at (800) 850-8038. For Spanish, please visit 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.

Unfortunately, we are not the company or city that collects the ridiculous amount tickets revenue nor do we operate the camera locations.  However, before you pay your fine that ranges from $50-$500, we recommend reading one of our many blog posts about "Fighting Red Light Camera Tickets" to see if you qualify to fight the ticket. 

For some visitors who don't take the time to read "About Us", we often receive strange email questions since we own the domain Photo Enforced and visitors often mistake us for being "Big Brother".  Typically questions include:  Can look up and see if I received a ticket?  Or how do I pay for my ticket?   My answer is always you need to contact your local court house in the city where the violation may have occurred or go to one of the locations listed at the bottom. 

Which leads me to the question of customer service management for the municipalities running the programs. I think there needs to be a national destination web site for "customers" (aka individuals who have received tickets) to log into a central database and find out if they received a ticket and how to pay the fine. Guilty drivers do not want to wait two weeks to receive the notice and might even want to modify the physical mailing address tied to the vehicle to avoid employer or owner conflicts. I think the implementation of such as program would result in improved payment recovery for the cities.  

Here are some links to the various payment web sites for the camera operators and cities below.

RedFlex - Photo Notice
City of Frederick Ticket Viewer
City of San Bernardino
City of New York

This is a screen show of the welcome screen you will see on PhotoNotice.com.

Arizona citizens and out-of-state visitors, should be aware by now, mailed traffic citations aren't valid under Arizona state law. In order for the ticket to be valid, it either must be delivered personally or the motorist must sign a waiver of proper service. If you choose to find out if a process server will deliver the ticket, and the process server finds you, it may cost up to $40 extra on top of your ticket penalty. If the process servers don't always come out. And if they don't, the ticket gets dismissed 120 days after it enters the court system. Court officials say when that when that happens, it's as if you never got the ticket at all.

St. Louis nears $10 million in red light fines Belleville News-Democrat

Nearly 30 months (2.5 years) since red light cameras began operating in St. Louis, the city is closing in on $10 million in fines collected at $100 per ticket which is approximately 100,000 violations if I am doing the math correctly.  The population in St. Louis is approximately 991,830 according to public data sources which would give you a 10% chance of getting a red light camera ticket in the last 2.5 years.

KMOX Radio reports the city has collected $9.9 million in fines since the use of cameras began in May 2007. After paying the camera vendor its share the city's net gain has been $6.8 million. Opponents say red light cameras can cause as many accidents as they prevent. But city officials say the cameras pay off both in terms of safety and revenue Mayor Francis Slay's operations director, Ron Smith, says citations for some intersections are down 85 percent from two years ago as drivers have become aware of the cameras.  We count about 62 cameras that have been published on our map below St. Louis, Missouri Red Light Camera Map

City of St. Louis Red Light Camera Ticket Information

In the City of St. Louis, the fine is $100 for running a red light. To pay a ticket, you must mail payment or bring it in person to 1430 Olive Street, Room 100, St. Louis, MO 63103. Payment must be in the form of check or money order if you are mailing it. If you bring it in person, you may pay by cash, check, credit card or money order.

The Wall Street Journal botched this story "Get the Feeling You're Being Watched - If You're Driving, You Just Might Be. Cameras to Catch Speeders and Scofflaws Are Spreading -- And Sparking Road Rage" This story was botched as they did not do their homework with regards to cameras in operation. "Suppliers estimate that there are now slightly over 3,000 red-light and speed cameras in operation in the U.S., up from about 2,500 a year ago". This number is incorrect and its more like 5,000-6,000 red light cameras in operation. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that at the end of last year, 345 U.S. jurisdictions were using red-light cameras, up from 243 in 2007 and 155 in 2006. The Insurance Institute of Highway safety has never published an article on the topic of red light cameras or speed cameras and they are sited as the source for this information as well. I am not sure how much credibility this organization has with regards to regulation, tracking of locations and souring of for this information.

Also, I think RedFlex gave the WSJ a bogus number of 3000 cameras operating in the U.S. so it made it look like they have bigger market share than they actually do. Did they talk to ATS, Nestor, ACS, RedSpeed, LaserCraft, Traffipax, Gatso and Transcore? Did they talk to any cities who have purchased cameras and operate them without the management services of these companies? Many cities have purchased cameras and do not use a large company to operate them. See our comparison grid wiki of red light camera operators

I am also disappointed the writer did not highlight the discrepancies in fines across the U.S. that range from $50-$500.

I am also not sure if the WSJ actually talked to customers who used the Plate Blocker?

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In Chicago, running a red light might get you a letter, complete with a $100 fine, thanks to a red-light camera. But that might not be the end of your photo-enforcement mess, because city officials began talking about using the city's ever-growing network of red-light cameras to check for vehicle liability insurance or uninsured motorists.  The city could potentially net nearly $10 million a year in fines just by citing uninsured vehicles that also get photo ticketed for a red-light violation. Ed Burke brought the idea to the City Council Traffic Committee. Citing more vehicles—including those driven safely but uninsured—could net the city more than $100 million a year, added Rowland Day, executive vice president of InsureNet, a Michigan-based company that provides instant insurance verification. Day pitched the idea as a way to raise money in tough economic times and make sure more vehicles are insured. Insurenet is still a relatively new company and has yet to prove the concept on any level. Although no state or municipality uses photo-enforcement to ticket the uninsured drivers, Insurenet claims to have three or four states signed in the Spring of 2009.

Most state fines for driving without insurance are currently $500, but the cities could pass local ordinances requiring insurance to keep fine collections, and would probably enact a lesser fine. Chicagotribune.com

The city of Scottsdale, Arizona may take it a step further and is considering using its photo enforced cameras to enforce distracted driver laws. Photo enforcement cameras in Scottsdale are capable of detecting behavior such as text messaging or other “distracted driving” behavior, in addition to capturing speeders and red-light runners. But whether Scottsdale pursues such enforcement as part of a proposed text-messaging and distracted driving law remains to be seen. “We’re able to see people clearly on their cell phones,” said Josh Weiss, spokesman for American Traffic Solutions, the company that operates the fixed cameras and camera-equipped vans on Scottsdale surface streets.

On September 24th, 2008 the Governor of California , Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 28 (SB 28) in to law. The new bill “Prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication." The new bill will impose a fine of $20 for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses starting January 1, 2009. No violation points will be given as a result of the offense and there are exceptions for emergency personnel.

The bill requires motorists to use hands-free devices while talking on a mobile phone when driving a motor vehicle. California motorists using cell phones have been required to use hands-free devices since July, and drivers under age 18 can't use any electronic devices. Seven other states and the District of Columbia ban text-messaging or the use of hand-held phones while driving, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

GPS warning devices sold in the U.S. are specifically designed to help drivers avoid getting a photo enforced tickets. Drivers receiving photo enforced tickets can expect fines ranging from $50-$450 in the U.S. Having a device that alerts you when a point of interest (POI) such as red light camera or speed camera location is approaching can make you extra cautious of drivers and theoretically reduce your chances of getting a ticket. The GPS navigation market is growing rapidly but is still in the "early adopter" phase. Taking a long term approach when deciding what to purchase as your device is the smartest approach. You might ask yourself what other types of points of interest GPS alerts you might you want in your device such as cheap gas, accidents, traffic, etc.



Please help us update PhotoEnforced.com Comparison of GPS Navigation Warning Devices. The grid is a wiki, so you can add or update missing information, and help me and the community by selecting the item you like best.

Speeding fines are the same whether motorists are stopped by a deputy or get a citation in the mail through the photo radar program. Fines are $135 for exceeding the speed limit by 10 mph; $183 for 11-15 mph; $202 for 16-20 mph; $222 for 21-25; $235 for 26-30 mph; and $356 for 31-45 mph. Drivers could be arrested for going more than 46 mph over the posted limit. Photo enforced locations are set to trigger a picture flash for 11 MPH over the speeding limit.

Arizona leads all U.S. States with a total of 51 active photo enforced speed camera locations that are currently in our database. From this we can reasonably assume that Arizona has nearly 1/3 of all speed cameras that currently exist in the U.S. Here is a summary of our current totals that are in our database.

State	#	%
Arizona	51	30.00%
Maryland	21	12.35%
Ohio	16	9.41%
Washington	16	9.41%
California	15	8.82%
New Mexico	10	5.88%
District of Columbia	9	5.29%
Tennessee	8	4.71%
Iowa	7	4.12%
New York	3	1.76%
Missouri	2	1.18%
North Carolina	2	1.18%
Colorado	2	1.18%
Florida	1	0.59%
Georgia	1	0.59%
Idaho	1	0.59%
Pennsylvania	1	0.59%
Texas	1	0.59%
Utah	1	0.59%
Virginia	1	0.59%
Delaware	1	0.59%
	170

Drivers in a Class Action Law Suit seek more than $23 million in reimbursements, the amount that the cities paid to the contractor. The California Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether tens of thousands of drivers in San Francisco and other cities can seek partial refunds of the fines they paid for running red lights before 2004, when the private contractor that operated traffic cameras at intersections got a cut of the money from each ticket. ACS State and Local Solutions, typically got about one-third of each red-light fine. That fine is now $380 but was less during the years covered by the case. The Legislature has prohibited such fee arrangements since 2004 and instead requires cities to pay contractors a flat rate for their work, regardless of the number of tickets issued or fines collected. The court case involves tickets issued during the preceding four years.

The case is a consolidation of suits filed on behalf of about 300,000 ticketed drivers in 14 cities and Los Angeles County, plaintiffs' lawyers said Thursday. The cities include San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Redwood City and Cupertino.

See these recent stories below.

Philadelphia - http://www.nbc10.com/news/17706251/detail.html
San Diego - http://www.cbs8.com/story.php?id=141872#

Supporters of red light cameras say…

• According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), drivers who run red lights account for 22% of all traffic accidents in the United States.
• An IIHS study in Oxnard, California showed that red light running violations dropped 42% after red light cameras was introduced. A similar study in Fairfax, Virginia showed violations declined 40% after one year after.
• Publicity of red light cameras deters violations.
• Red light cameras don’t have biases and therefore drivers cannot be unfairly profiled.
• Privacy issues are null because of the public setting. Also, only people violating the law are photographed.
• They make lots of money for cities in need of the revenue.

Those who oppose the use of red light cameras say . . . 

• The owner might not have been driving the car, yet they are mailed owner the ticket.
• Cameras increase other types of accidents, such as rear ending collisions, when people notice the camera and make hasty decisions to avoid ticketing. A Virginia Transportation Research Council study shows an increase of accidents with the installment of red light cameras.
• Longer yellow lights can make intersections much safer, in an easy and inexpensive way (check out the findings of the Texas Transportation Institute)
• There is no standardization of yellow light duration and several cities have been caught shortening them around a red light camera to increase revenue.
• Insurance companies (including IIHS) support red light cameras because more tickets mean they can raise insurance rates
• The accused receive notification weeks after the violation and there are no human witnesses to analyze the whole situation.
  
• They are expensive to operate and service the tickets in our court system.
  
• There are not stands to the fines through the U.S. which range from $50-$400.

Thank you to our friends at Beat The Traffic Blog for putting together this info . . .

Make sure you come to a complete stop when making a right turn on red. According to this LA Times article that has been the key to the city staying profitable with its red light camera program. Rolling right turns on a red light will get you a $158 fine in Culver City as compared to running completely through an intersection for a $381 fine. See this chart below of a breakdown in estimated revenue by some Los Angeles cities . . .

As of today we have a fresh new version of the database on the site that has taken into account all of our user updates and new locations. Thank you again to our loyal users who regularly supply updates. A number of cities have revised their fines upward in 2008 and some have taken down cameras. Our database currently has 3,700 active red light camera and speed camera locations in the database. Stay tuned for an exciting new map technology that we are in the process of implementing. We are considering using these new maps along with our database. See www.deadcellzones.com for a preview of the look an feel. We also have a number of local web sites who are using our data and we are happy to see it.

Automated Stop Sign Photographic Systems will have cameras mounted at certain intersections that will record all vehicles that pass through. Unlike red light cameras, where a flash goes off when a car runs a red light, no flash will occur when a violation is committed at the stop signs. Instead, the tape will roll and at a later time be viewed by a police officer who will look for individuals going through without stopping. The fine is currently $100-200 and our database is now setup to accept these locations.

More than 40 percent of drivers nailed on camera for running red lights in Santa Clarita are freeze-framed, cell phone to ear. Eight intersections in town have red light cameras. In addition to the cell-phone yakkers, 10 percent of the lawbreakers running the red are eating, drinking coffee or reading. Folks in Bakersfield, too, have been snapped by red-light cameras, gabbing away, for the four years cameras have been in place. In Lancaster, red-light cameras went into operation in September at two intersections and in their first 30 days photographed 322 red-light runners. Deputies who reviewed the photos said many of the motorists were talking on cell phones, though they didn't count how many. A California law that goes into effect in July 2008 will make it illegal for drivers to use hand-held wireless phones while driving. Speaker phones and hands-free headsets will be allowed. The fine for first-time offenders will be $20; thereafter, $50.

$9.3M in speeding ticket revenue generated with 59,721 tickets at $157 each.
Scottsdale Arizona City Court statistics show 81 percent of speeding tickets generated by the cameras in a four-month period were for speeds of 76 to 79 mph. More than half of the 59,721 tickets were for either 76 or 77 mph. The six cameras on Loop 101 between Shea Boulevard and Scottsdale Road start snapping at 11 mph over the 65 mph posted speed limit. That’s where authorities draw the line. Fines that start at $157. Doing the math that is $9.3M in revnue

Drivers are flashed if they go 11 mph or more over the 65 mph speed limit. Only about 43 percent of drivers who trigger freeway speed-enforcement cameras have received speeding tickets. The Scottsdale loop 101 cameras have flashed a total of 124,809 drivers in the past five months, only 53,819 of which have been processed as citations in Scottsdale City Court. As many as 16,937 drivers have paid fines or attended defensive driving schools. Scottsdale collects $75 of every $120 or so paid to driving schools. More than half of the total camera flashes recorded at six locations between Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard, about 57 percent, have not been processed by Scottsdale City Court. The court receives as many as 825 photo enforcement citations every day, from both surface streets and the freeway, up from about 200 per day before the Loop 101 test.

Redflex is helping to dole out about 4,000 traffic citations per day, or just under 1.5 million per year. The company's cut per ticket varies by city, but in its hometown, Scottsdale, Redflex pockets about $40 from each $180 red-light fine on average. Redflex has 600 cameras in 87 cities in six states. Roughly 200 more will be installed this year. It has 60 cameras in Chicago. More than 40 percent of all traffic cameras installed in the U.S. are Redflex. Redflex had $26 million in revenue last year, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing companies within an industry whose growth potential it believes is staggering. The industry could some day become a $3 billion juggernaut, Redflex recently told analysts.

FURIOUS motorists fed up with speed camera fines are turning their anger against operators, intimidating them and even smashing up their cars. The most recent attack last week saw a speed camera operator threatened and a brick thrown through the window of his car as he sat inside. Attacks against operators, speed cameras and operator vehicles continue to rise. The private company that runs Victoria's speed camera program, Tenix Solutions, has expressed alarm and urged people not to attack operators. Speed cameras generate about $130 million a year for the Australian Government. In 2003, there were eight attacks on fixed-location speed and red light cameras, 23 attacks in 2004 and 39 attacks in 2005.