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| Yes, You Can Still Get a Ticket in the Snow |
Yes, it is possible to still get a ticket, but police review each case. Police officers don't suspend red light cameras during bad weather. However, they do have someone who reviews videos of each possible infraction and evaluates whether a ticket should be issued. Police take into consideration if a driver makes a legitimate attempt to stop and also evaluates road conditions.
We frequently receive emails from winter drivers who ask us if they will receive a ticket in a blizzard, ice storm, or during poor weather conditions. These drivers usually plead that they could not stop safely before the intersection because of the snow, ice, or water on the road.
If you think you may have received an unjustified ticket sometimes a successful defense some have used in court is the 'out of necessity' defense for running the red light. This defense basically brings the idea of a dangerous situation at hand. When you tried to come to a stop, your car began to slide on ice or water and you had no choice but to run the red light. You could go on to say that by going through the red light, it was actually safer to have done so as opposed to sliding uncontrollably into traffic, stopped vehicles, or pedestrians. Pictures would go a long way here. It is recommended to drive back to the scene as soon as possible and return with a camera. Take pictures of the icy or wet road and anything else that could boost your story's credibility.
We would appreciate hearing stories from drivers below in the comments section of the blog who received a ticket during poor weather conditions and contested the ticket.