Red-light cam vendor sues over Tenn. restrictions

Knoxville News Sentinel ^ | 11/11/11 | AP

[TennesseeGirl]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The city of Knoxville is being sued by a red light camera vendor in a case that could change the new state law limiting citations for improper right turns on red.

American Traffic Solutions Inc. filed the lawsuit Tuesday in Knox County Chancery Court. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company provided the equipment for the city's red-light cameras in Knoxville...

...Knoxville has seen citations from its 14 cameras drop 90 percent since the new law took effect, going from more than 30,000 violations in August, September and October of 2010 to just over 3,200 for the same period this year, said Knoxville Police Department Capt. Gordon Catlett, who oversees the red-light camera enforcement program for the city. Excerpted

[TennesseeGirl]

Riiiight. Red-light cameras are for safety only. /s

FYI: The Sentinel whines when someone posts their articles in full (even for discussion purposes).

[GeronL]

Can we sue the state to make them buy and use our products?

[Sooth2222]

"Sponsors of the measure, which also sets new restrictions on how local governments set up and use speeding cameras, said a camera couldn't distinguish between truly illegal turns and drivers who nose into the intersection to see if it is safe to turn." EXCERPTED (?)

That's the dirty little secret about red light cameras. 90% of the citations aren't given to people who blew through red lights. They're given to people who stopped at an "incorrect" distance from the stop line, even if that was clearly the safest thing to do.

[Repeal The 17th]

“...A state law that took effect July 1 bars cities with the cameras from issuing right-turn-on-red citations if the only evidence comes from traffic camera video.

Sponsors of the measure, which also sets new restrictions on how local governments set up and use speeding cameras, said a camera couldn’t distinguish between truly illegal turns and drivers who nose into the intersection to see if it is safe to turn.

This lawsuit from ATS seeks to overturn the new law or to exempt about 20 cities that had contracts with traffic camera companies when the law took effect.

Under the contract with Knoxville, ATS is paid $40 out of every $50 fine for right-turn-on-red violations, up to $4,500 per camera per month...”
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Outrageous!