Posted on 02/05/2012 7:25:54 PM PST by WilliamIII
California has the most expensive red-light camera tickets in the world - the fine is so steep that one camera in Oakland generates more than $3 million a year - and a Fremont man is launching a protest group to do something about that.
If Roger Jones has his way, that freezing dread that knifes through a driver the moment he sees the overhead flash of a traffic camera will become a thing of the past.
But he's facing quite an uphill fight against officials hungry for the cash the cameras sweep in and police who are convinced they make the roads safer.
Anyone in California snapped violating a red light pays a fine of $480, and according to the traffic-watch site TheNewspaper.com, no other jurisdiction anywhere has a tab that high. The second-highest fine in the United States is $250, and it is usually more like $100.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Not sure there is one here is the US, but in England there is: http://www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2.htm
They are illegal in NJ
Friend of mine got stopped for having a filter to block
the camera on license plates
Know of several others been nailed for same
Cops will stop you if see this.
40th St and Pecos still has one. Phoenix AZ
You would be amazed at all the illegal things the cities do to try to keep their coffers full.
It’s considered a “parking ticket” in most jurisdictions because a private company runs the cameras. When an officer issues the ticket, it’s a criminal offense.
You will find that places using the cameras have changed their laws to allow traffic violation to be prosecuted either way, civil or criminal.
A civil infraction carries a much lower burden of proof, facilitating the tax collections.
It is not a “criminal offense” to disobey a static symbol. Check again.
I have read many studies that traffic accidents have increased because many of the towns intentionally reduced yellow light time to increase the amount of tickets. This forces a person to quickly decide based on how far they are from the intersection to gun it through the intersection, but with the smaller time they will get nailed. A person who has been nailed this way a couple of times may try to stop quickly (but not have enough time at that speed to stop in time and get rear ended.
Aunt Polgara, I replied specifically to you on this because I liked the Belgariad reference.
No thanks, I’m satisfied with my posts.
By trickery...they have special “training” for an officer to review the photos, and he issues the ticket.
The evasion of the hearsay rule is serious bidness, and sufficient reason to demand that these things be removed. Even if they did reduce accidents. Which they don’t.
Dont give the gubmint an inch because they will then take a mile.Wake up.
are illegal aliens exempted?
A $100 Tom-Tom will warn of traffic cameras etc. if you set up the alarm on the unit.
Gotta feed the Dragon or the Dragon eats you.
I assume there is a website dedicated to pictures of destroyed traffic cameras?
Here’s the U.K. site. They “set them alight” using an “accelerant” and/or an old tyre. I’ve also seen them in Texas become “victims” of gunfire!
www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2.htm
Absolutely: YOU MUST GO TO COURT AND FIGHT THE TICKET.
FYI...These traffic cameras are not owned and operated by the cities or counties, but private companies that service, maintain and process the pictures and videos.
To wit, I received a ticket from a traffic camera (in El Monte) and even recalled seeing the flash and believed that it must have been taking a photo of another vehicle since I had violated any traffic laws. To my suprise, I recieved a ticket about 2 weeks later with a website address included for me to view the video footage of my violation. I KNEW that I hadn’t committed an infraction, and went to the website, viewed the “footage” and realized that it was BS ticket because the camera was not properly calibrated nor was the photo accurately reviewed by some private, minimum wage jackass. It was obvious from the video that I had made a complete stop prior to making a right-hand turn on a red-light. I went to court and contested the ticket. The judge was familiar with this particular camera and believed it was probably bogus as well, and then waived the ticket.
So fight the damn ticket. It’s probably bogus. It’s just unfortunate that so many people are so damn weak-kneed about it and don’t fight it, which is why these cameras are so damn popular.
“are illegal aliens exempted?”
Don’t about the other “56” states, but I’m pretty damn sure they are exempted here in Mexifornia.
About a dozen years back, Begich got all these red light cams in Anch; going to make all kinds of bucks. People started shooting them, destroying them, begich got voted out over his dumbness. The company from AZ pulled them and headed back south, made city pay a fee for them doing so. State legislature passed a law making red light cams illegal in Alaska. No more talk about those cameras and everytime I remind Begich people about his cams, they always tell me Mark has always said it was his biggest mistake ever, ha ha.
The claim is that red light cameras are for safety, but I would dispute this. It was clear that Houston was using them as a revenue enhancement scheme when the yellow light times got to be ridiculously short. The result was more rear end collisions.
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