Beware of Fake Phone Calls From The Department of Public Safety

MARSHALL, Texas (KYTX) Full story  If you get a call about an overdue red-light ticket, don't fall for it. Scammers are illegally collecting money for tickets that don't exist. They're also stealing credit card and social security numbers by claiming to be with the Department of Public Safety. CBS 19's Monique Bird has details on what you can do to protect your identity and your money.
Red-light cameras are easy to spot at busy Marshall, Texas intersections. The cameras take pictures of red-light runners and the drivers are fined. But scammers are abusing the system. Claiming to be with DPS, scammers call victims demanding payment for overdue red-light tickets.

"People are gullible, unfortunately," says Jeff Gulledge. "It's pretty bad. Really bad. I think that they should be prosecuted heavily. It should be taken seriously."

Gulledge says he's not surprised by the illegal activity. But he hopes he can avoid scams like this by screening his calls carefully.

"That's why I don't answer those phone calls," says Gulledge. "I don't answer it unless I know the person."

So what should you do if you get a call from someone claiming to be with DPS? First, don't give out any personal information, like a credit card number or a social security number. And second, report it.

"Try to capture any information they have - maybe off of their caller id," says Jean Dark, with DPS. "And then, contact law enforcement and provide that information to them."

Trooper dark says DPS never collects traffic fines and won't call about tickets.

"Identity theft is clearly a crime on the rise," says Dark. "Be aware that it's happening. Guard your identity. Make sure that you're not divulging personal information over the phone to someone you don't know in a call that you have not initiated."

Gulledge hopes that advice will keep him from becoming the next victim.

"Knock on wood," laughs Gulledge.

Anyone suspecting fake calls should report them to the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office at 1-800-621-0508.

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

Dayton is one of just a few cities around the US that is beginning to use speed cameras. In Europe there are upwards of 40,000 cameras throughout the region. However, the United States has been slow to adopt the automated speed enforcement method.  We have all of Dayton locations and others around the US listed in our speed camera database. 

Dayton Ohio city officials are moving forward with plans to add photo speed enforcement cameras near 10 of the city’s most dangerous accident areas for automobile travelers. The automated cameras likely will be installed by late April or early May, and speeding drivers will be given a 30-day grace period. After the grace period ends an $85 fine will be issued.

Dayton will keep $55 of that fine and the rest will go to the camera company Redflex which is based in Scottsdale Arizona. Redflex is paying to install the equipment and will do the initial processing of the tickets before Dayton police will give final approval before the tickets are mailed.

Illegal Right Turn & Rolling Right Tickets Defined

The difference between the two types of tickets is huge!   If you made a right hand turn at a red light and were caught by a camera, chances are that the ticket you received in the mail states you violated CVC§21453(a) even though they could have (some argue should have) cited you for CVC§21453(b). For some cities, like Los Angeles, CA most of the revenue is generated by illegal right turns, in fact an LA Times article from December last year reported that according to the Los Angeles Police Department, an estimated 8 in 10 photo tickets were issued for right turns.  Do you wonder police department’s are now issuing tickets under Vehicle code section CVC§21453 (a) regardless of whether or not the motorist was turning right?

Here are both of these sections:

21453 Circular Red or Red Arrow

(a) A driver facing a steady circular red signal alone shall stop at a marked limit line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and shall remain stopped until an indication to proceed is shown, except as provided in subdivision (b).

(b) Except when a sign is in place prohibiting a turn, a driver, after stopping as required by subdivision (a), facing a steady circular red signal, may turn right, or turn left from a one-way street onto a one-way street. A driver making that turn shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to any vehicle that has approached or is approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard to the driver, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to that vehicle until the driver can proceed with reasonable safety.

Now, here’s the distinction:

The first section (a) says nothing about right turns, and is basically used for those who go straight through a red light.

The second section (b) essentially says you can turn after stopping if there is no sign prohibiting a turn on red.

So if you made a “California rolling stop” why wouldn’t you be cited for the second section (b) instead of (a) you might ask...

Check out this “Traffic Infraction Penalty Schedule” (from the January 2010 Edition Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules, California Rules of Court, Rule 4,102):

Section: 21453 (a, c)
Offense: “Red” Signal- Vehicular Responsibilities
Total Bail/Fee (Keep in mind the so called “Total Bail” is before certain additional court or other fees that is added and there are 30 counties in CA authorized by law to exceed the total bail/fee):$380.00

Section: 21453 (b)
Offense: “Red” Signal- Vehicular Responsibilities With Right Turn
Total Bail/Fee (Keep in mind the so called “Total Bail” is before certain additional court or other fees that is added and there are 30 counties in CA authorized by law to exceed the total bail/fee):$146.00

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.

Up to 50 intersection in Rochester, New York will eventually be equipped with Red Light Cameras. Cameras are now up at the first three intersections in an attempt to catch drivers running red lights. They include State and Jay Streets, Alexander and Broadway and North Street and Clifford Avenue.

The cameras will capture still and video images of vehicles in the act of a red-light violation, which will initiate the procedure to deliver a Notice of Liability, to the registered owner of the vehicle. The violation is a civil matter and will not be reported to insurance companies or generate points on a driver’s license.

Evidence captured by the Red Light Cameras will be reviewed by the Rochester Police Department before the Notice of Liability is delivered in the mail. Vehicle owners are responsible for violations by operators of their vehicle. Vehicle owners will have an opportunity to appeal the Notice or pay the fine. The civil violation carries an initial $50 fine. If the initial fine is not paid within 30 days an additional penalty of $25 will be assessed.

The program will begin with a 15 day warning period, when warning letters will be sent.
The cameras operate 24 hours a day and capture still photographs and video of every vehicle that runs a red light at the intersection. Cameras photograph only the vehicle and the license plate of vehicles running the red lights. No images of the driver or passengers are captured. Each set of images of a red light violation are reviewed and approved by the Rochester Police Department before a Notice of Liability is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.  Pay Rochester tickets here

Here is a scare tactic video and a demonstration of how the cameras work.

San Mateo, California Fines May Be Reduced from $450 to $250

Drivers caught by traffic cameras for taking an illegal right turn at a red light would face much cheaper fines than they do now under a bill introduced by a Peninsula legislator on Friday.  The bill from Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, would lower from about $450 to $250 the fine drivers caught on camera pay for turning right on red without fully stopping.

The exact fine varies slightly in different areas of the state. Although it would provide relief for drivers who roll through right turns, it would cost cities enough money that they may have to yank their cameras altogether. Currently, police fine drivers caught on camera the same amount whether they run a red light through an intersection or make a right turn on red without fully stopping. Assembly Bill 909 would make the illegal right turn penalty the same as what drivers pay when they are pulled over by police for not fully stopping at a stop sign.

In other cities, however, it's less of a concern. Already, Burlingame and San Carlos officials in the past two months voted to take down their cameras because they were not generating enough fine revenue to pay for themselves, and officials in San Bruno voted not to install the devices for the same reason.

Read more

Its not surprising to see cities getting desperate to raise fines as their violation numbers begin to drop as citizens get smarter about navigating around the locations.  The US is in arguably the deepest and longest recession in decades yet government feel like they are free to double fines for violations.  Some might call this 100% inflation in economics.   I have heard rumors of other cities around the US doing this as well in order to keep camera operations profitable.  However, my speculation is the State government of Florida wants a piece of the City and County revenue. 

Drivers in Florida who fail to stop for red lights will be facing a steeper fines according to this news report. The fine for getting caught on camera running a red light is going up and other Florida counties may join Collier County. Governor Charlie Crist has signed the bill making the red light cameras legal statewide. The fine has been raised to $158. Currently, the fine price varies between $60 and $100.  Read more: Watch the News Report

Please send us an email or let us know in the comments section below if your city, state or county is planning to raise fines.

See our related articles:
State of Florida Wants A Piece City Revenue

PhotoEnforced.com's crowdsourced database is the largest and most complete US database as we raise the awareness of our open platform to share information about red light cameras, right turn cameras, speed cameras or anything that is enforced using camera automation.  Our locations and fines database has been growing at a rate of 25% per year and last year we added near 2,000 new locations totaling 8000+ total:

• Red Light Cameras – 6500
• Speed Cameras – 371
• Illegal Right Turn Cameras – 119
• Combination Cameras - 381
• Both Red Light & Speed Cameras – 354
• Red Light & Illegal Right Turn Cameras - 19
• Red Light, Speed & Illegal Right Turn Cameras - 9

Our database has the first mover advantage having been founded back in 2001. Unfortunately, a number of entrepreneurs & corporations have tried to copy our data and used it to start their own POI data service. Our long term vision is to be the standard brand and source for photo enforced information and locations. Thanks to the community for your continued support!

Certification of PhotoSafe Locations in Virginia Beach

I appreciate the information that is available on photoenforced.com because it helps us with our public awareness program. The cameras in Virginia Beach were activated in the first two intersections on March 13, 2009. We monitor 20 approaches at 13 intersection locations and, as of this date, we are currently the only jurisdiction with an active automated red light enforcement program in the State of Virginia. A list of our enforced intersection is available online at vbgov.com/photosafe. A list of VDOT approved jurisdictions and intersections can be found at virginiadot.org/info/photored.asp.

Automated enforcement in Virginia is a civil penalty. The automated enforcement fine is $50 and there are no court costs, no negative DMV points, no insurance notifications, and no late fees associated with a violation. There are major differences in the penalty associated with automated enforcement and officer enforcement. An officer issued summons for disregarding a red light is up to a $350 fine; the prepayable offense is $100. Court costs do apply to an officer issued summons. There are -4 points associated with the signal violation and it stays on the driver’s DMV record for 3 years.

There is a lot of disparity with the use of photo enforcement throughout the United States. The State of Virginia has approached the implementation of photo enforcement from three areas: Engineering, Education, and Enforcement. VDOT must approve each intersection for the use of enforcement cameras in the State of Virginia. In other words, if the engineering is not correct, the use of camera enforcement at the intersection will not be approved in Virginia. This process includes a standardization of yellow and all red signal timing.

The primary focuses in our PHOTOSafe program is education and awareness. We have given over 200 presentations to members of our community and established a web site that includes an interactive online presentation that explains the program, enforcement camera locations, and signal timing and coordination information. Virginia requires that photo enforcement warning signs be installed within 500 feet of the enforced intersection. Please visit our web site and give us some feedback on it. The address is vbgov.com/photosafe.

We view enforcement as the last part of our intersection safety equation. The State of Virginia has a .5 second amnesty period that prevents the cameras from activating for enforcement until the light has been red for ½ second. Our police department recognizes the need to use a combination of police officers and cameras to reduce red light running at the high crash locations.

Thanks in advance for updating our photo enforcement information. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the use of photo enforcement in the State of Virginia.

PHOTOSafe

Program Coordinator

Virginia Beach Police Department

RED Means Stop!

Office: (757) 385-7235
vbgov.com/photosafe

San Jose Mercury News - Feb. 10, 2010

At least 3,000 drivers will get money back for red light tickets in South San Francisco, thanks to an error in finalizing the contract with the company that installed the cameras.   Officials in this San Francisco suburb say the city council neglected to ratify the contract with American Traffic Solutions Inc., which installed the cameras last summer. That means the city could not legally operate the automatic cameras.  The contract was finally ratified Jan. 27.

Mayor Mark Addiego says the city contacting motorists caught by the red light cameras between Aug. 15 and Jan. 27 to pay back the $446 fine or the cost of traffic school. Officials say the refund will cost the city at least $1.4 million, in addition to thousands in staff costs needed to help figure out whom to refund.

Columbia Missourian Article:  October, 27, 2009 - Red light camera laws differ from city to city and state to state in the U.S.   Below is a map of the states that use red light camera photo enforcement currently and example of just how complex and different laws can be in only one state Missouri. You can only imagine the complexity when trying to figure out what is "standard operating procedure" which is a question we get often. Hence, the primary problem we were trying to solve when we created the PhotoEnforced.com crowd sourcing database in 2001.

More than 17 Missouri cities operate red-light cameras, but the financing and enforcement of them does not operate uniformly. The two main differences that vary from city to city deal with the criteria for citations and the payment to the companies owning and operating the cameras.

For citations, some cities like Columbia require that there be a photo of the driver of the car and the car itself that runs a red light, while other cities like Kansas City just need photos of the car and license plate. When it comes to payments, the fine amount varies from city to city, as does the amount each company receives.

In Kansas City, American Traffic Solutions owns and operates the red-light cameras. The company receives $4,500 per month per camera from the city as long as the money raised exceeds that amount. Since implementation in January, American Traffic Solutions has invoiced Kansas City $520,000 from 37,726 violations for their 29 cameras, according to a Kansas City Public Works release.

St. Louis also uses American Traffic Solutions, and the company also owns and operates cameras there. In St. Louis, the company receives $31.33 for each $100 citation issued, according to Ron Smith, executive director for city operations. Since the cameras were installed in May 2007, the company has collected $3.1 million from 102,859 paid citations, Smith said.

While the payment process for Kansas City and St. Louis differ, the methods of data collection, installation and maintenance of the cameras are the same, Jason Norton, American Traffic Solutions' regional manager, said. For each city, temporary cameras are installed for eight to 24 hours in order for the company and city to study which intersections cause the most problems. From there, the company installs the cameras without charge to the cities.

In order to issue a citation, the company takes two photos — one before a vehicle enters an intersection and another in the intersection — as well as a 12-second video of the car. The video, Norton said, is to make sure there are no extenuating circumstances forcing a car into the intersection that aren't caught on the photos. After reviewing the information and enlarging the license plate in the photo, the information is sent to the licensing office and local police department for further review.

"The beauty of the system is that the camera is objective," Norton said. "No matter who you are, you get a ticket."

While the process is similar in Columbia, information given to the owner and city differs.

According to Gatso USA President and co-founder Andrew Noble, the company's cameras in Columbia are "unique" in what they offer to a city. Noble said his company's violation notices present the owner with photos of the driver and vehicle along with a 17-point data bar with information such as time the light has been red, time of day, date and how long the yellow light was.

Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, has said his biggest issue with red-light cameras deals with payments to the companies. Crowell said he has a problem with systems like those in place in St. Louis and Columbia, where a percentage of each ticket goes to the company. For Crowell, that leaves no other contingencies for other policing tools.

Noble said companies like his earn that money because they front the funds needed for initial installation and maintenance. According to him, each camera installed at an intersection costs Gatso USA $100,000, which comes at no cost to the city. American Traffic Solutions operates under a similar system where each camera can cost anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000 to create, install and maintain, Norton said.

The cameras are an asset for the cities, Smith said, because they promote safety.

In St. Louis, the red-light cameras have been a "good public safety initiative to make our intersections safer," Smith said, and data has already shown a marked improvement in the city when it comes to running red lights.

A similar sentiment is echoed by Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

"The idea is to prevent or reduce the number of accidents at intersections," he said, but also added that cameras have highlighted the massive amount of disregard for red lights that currently exists.

Funkhouser said that while there may be bugs in the system that need to be worked out, he is pleased with the results.

The Courts Do Not Care About Your Excuses "la, la, la . . ."

A story from "Tim in LA" about contesting a red light camera violation in an Inglewood, California courtroom.

We were joined by about 20 other people at the 1:30 court time with Commissioner Torrance in Ingelwood. The primary officer (I didn't get his name) instructed those of us with red light camera tickets to look at them on the video. He said "You're all here because you didn't stop at a red light, and we'll convict you all for that offense. Commissioner Torrance has been doing this for 4 years and I've been doing it for 2 years..." so he started off being kind of an ---hole. Then said that "we'll show it twice and you each have 1 question to ask." Ok, so my wife and I were the last ones in line and my wife had more than one question. The officers were actually friendly and answered all of her questions. She asked this twice: "if I choose to do the traffic school as a '2nd offender', can I do it online?" Officer Jimenez, the junior officer, said yes, both times. We talked about it quickly because she wanted to avoid having a point on her record; plus, she did traffic school online for another red light camera ticket last year in Culver City and it was no big deal.

So, we all went back into the courtroom and wait for the commissioner to come in. The guy we were sitting next to had the same ticket, as did the guy next to him. The first woman to be called went up and plead no contest and asked the Commissioner this: "Can you please reduce the fine?" And Commissioner Torrance actually said: "Oh, I have no jurisdiction over the fines." What? Then why were we there? I was going to use this huge argument about the 8th amendment and it was like a machine.

It was quickly obvious that they all had no interest in hearing our cases whatsoever. As we waited for our turn, it made me reconsider. Then my wife was called, though I couldn't approach the defense stand with her, which I found odd, even though she was going to have me speak for her. Because she had already agreed to the traffic school, it took less than a minute to process her.

The bailiff then handed her a sheet of paper which said, verbatim:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! - The Court has Granted you the opportunity to go to traffic school...

You must now proceed down to the clerks office located on the 2nd floor of this building, room #202 to pay $64.00. They will provide you with the paperwork and a completion date for the traffic school.

Nice, really nice. It's bad enough that we've wasted our day and we paid a fine of $436, but to get this facetious note from the court?? Dripping with attitude no less??! So as we left the court, I got to thinking, "hey, we didn't even have a chance to present anything!?". We got downstairs and were standing in line to pay our fee, everyone down there felt the same way -- we were shoved through the system with no recourse. Then I started reading the back of our pink Superior Court "Request for Trial" slip, and it says:

"1. Contesting Your Ticket: You can contest your ticket by entering a plea of not guilty at your arraignment. Your arraignment will take place in front of a judge or court commissioner, who will advise you of the charges against you and your constitutional and statutory rights." -- We were never advised of those rights.

So, we eventually got to the window downstairs and the woman there said you have to pay $64 for an adminisrative fee, and the traffic school fee is separate (probably $25 -50.) And as a 2nd offender, you have to spend 12 hours in traffic school in person. What? We were told specifically that we could do it online. She said no, and after arguing with her for a couple minutes, we finally decided to forget it - my wife wasn't going to do 12 hours of traffic school. We have 3 year old twins at home and she wasn't going to lose that much time. She'll take the point on her record. The $64 was for traffic school alone! So, she has a point on her record, but at least we saved potentially $114. We marched back upstairs and saw the officers waiting for an elevator and told Officer Jimenez that what he told us was wrong. He apologized. And the amazing thing was that the technician who was in the room when we were asking the questions probably knew the right answer about traffic school and didn't say anything.

Seriously, we're both extremely disappointed. I don't even know who to contact for the biggest impact. Someone needs to say something and do it in a very public way. I got lots of tickets over 18 years in Portland, and never have I experienced something like this -- why doesn't the Commissioner have any authority to change the fines? That is precisely why we were all there. Something needs to be done about the excessive fines. And to think if we'd been going 13 mph, no ticket...

Wow, if I'd known it was going to be like that, we would have certainly asked for an extension. That was so ridiculous, I'm more flabbergasted than mad. But, I'm pretty mad. Anyway, thought you might find some of this intersting and useful. Let me know who to contact.

Always contact your trusted criminal defense attorney when faced with San Diego Domestic Violence Charges.

We would like to alleviate some of the confusion in the marketplace. Navteq is NOT currently a customer of PhotoEnforced.com and we have no idea where they have acquired their data from.

However, PhotoEnforced.com has been the #1 sole source and pioneer of gathering red light camera and speed locations in a free open database since 2001. There are many databases in the market described above who copy our data and use this data and sell it. If you are considering licensing or using the NAVTEQ speed and red light camera locations database you might want to ask them the following questions first . . .

1) Why are you missing about a 1000+ locations?
2) What sources for acquiring the original 5000 locations?
3) Are your sources for the data stealing content?
4) Sources for updates on new locations and changes?
5) Proprietary research (?) when PhotoEnforced.com is free?
6) Any right turn and red light camera / speed combo cameras?
7) Why did it take you so many years to release a product?
8) Can you deliver updates to the locations in real time?
9) How do you charge for the database?
10) Publishing fines with the location be a copyright violation?

NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, announced today at Telematics Detroit 2009 speed and red light camera locations are now available for the NAVTEQ(R) map of North America. NAVTEQ Camera Alert(TM) includes up-to-date information about the exact location of speed limit cameras, red light cameras, as well as combined speed and red light cameras in 5,000 locations throughout North America.

"Automated cameras are proliferating across North American cities," stated Cindy Paulauskas, vice president Americas map and content products, NAVTEQ. "And our proprietary research indicates that these types of warnings are a highly valued feature in countries where this navigation system functionality is available. Providing our customers with quality North America camera location information helps enable solutions that give drivers better knowledge of maximum speeds and traffic signals - with alerts at the right place and at the right time."

See related posts:
Cobra Electronics Licensing Data to Navteq?
Red Light & Speed Cameras POI Database

PhotoEnforced.com today added a new category of photo enforcement "Right Turn Cameras" to compliment our growing list of "red light cameras" and "speed cameras." As of today we have added 44 locations where illegal right turns are photo enforced from around the U.S. and will be adding many more as the data starts to trickle in from users.

We are starting to see a growing number of right turn cameras popping-up around the U.S. that use traditional red light camera technology to enforce illegal right turns. These new cameras are typically enforcing illegal right turns red or rolling right turns. Illegal rolling right turns are when a driver does not come to a complete stop before making the turn. Illegal right turns are when the driver makes a right turn on red regardless if they camer to a complete stop. The fines in California are $159 and right turn cameras are also being used in Missouri $100), Tenessee ($100), Texas ($75) and Maryland ($75).

These right turn photo enforced intersections often surprise drivers because there are not very many intersections currently regulated. These intersections usually prevent drivers from turning right who might have limited visibility 0t mighy be moving at a speed that is unsafe. I still haven't figured out why rolling right turns are such a big deal that they have to be photo enforced. Its possible that bikers or pedestrians often are frequenting the sidewalks or streets and the cities want drivers to be extra cautious.

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?

read more

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.

Is the U.S. Photo Enforced industy doing a $150M per year in revenue? Some estimate the total available market could be 35,000 intersections in the near future which would make it about a $1B industry in the U.S. Below is a list of companies that are operating Red Light Cameras and Speed Cameras in the U.S. This list will continually be updated as we piece together ESTIMATES of information about active U.S. locations, revenue per location and company. We have 5000+ unique locations listed in our database that we estimate average $30,000 in revenue per location. Please email updates and tips on this information to jeff@photoenforced.com.

1) RedFlex - (Public, ASX:RDF) - 2000 - $70M/year
2) Affiliated Computer Services -1000 - $30M/year
3) American Traffic Solutions - 1000 - $30M/year
4) Nestor -(Public, OTC:NEST) - 400 -$13M/year
5) RedSpeed - 250 - $7M/Year
6) Laser Craft - 250 - $7M Year
7) TraffiPax - 100 - $3M/Year
?) Transcore - ?
?) Gatso - ?

Here is a chart provided by RedFlex in their shareholder presentation.

GATSO USA Introduces Industry's First AMBER Alert Photo Enforcement Camera -- Helping Police Stop Child Abductions. Camera's AMBER Alert Feature Can Drastically Increase Chances of Locating Abducted Children During Crucial First Minutes of Search.

The camera's AMBER Alert feature enables police departments to search in real time for wanted or suspect vehicles at intersections or locations within a city's network of compatible red light or speed photo enforcement cameras. When a suspect vehicle passes a camera location, the camera immediately reports the information back to the police department.

This is a very interesting application and "spin" on the use of the red light camera technology and probably will spur further adoption because it reduces the friction between a city councils and citizens. The AMBER Alert™ Program is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe recovery of the child.

See Active AMBER Alerts
Gatso Press Release

Below is a list of companies that are operating Red Light Cameras and Speed Cameras in the U.S. This list will continually be updated with relevant factual information pertaining to the number of locations under management, revenue share and licensing agreement structures and plans for expanding in the U.S.

Affiliated Computer Services - Dallas, U.S. - http://www.acs-inc.com
American Traffic Solutions - Arizona, U.S. - http://www.atsol.com
Gatso - England - http://www.safecam.org.uk
Nestor - Rhode Island, U.S. - http://www.nestor.com
RedFlex - Australia - http://www.redflex.com
Transcore - Australia - http://www.transcore.com
Laser Craft - Georgia - http://www.lasercraftinc.com/

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%
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