Class Action LawsuitsShortlightingNew DeploymentsNew ShutdownsNew Camera TypesResources

Photo Enforced

In theory, traffic safety devices such as red light cameras and speeding cameras seemed to be innovative solutions to many a city's traffic maladies.

In practice, they have created more problems than they solve.


Widespread reports of increased incidence of collisions at red light camera intersections have surfaced around the world. Drivers are frequently being denied certain legal rights including the right to question their accuser (the camera). The durations of yellow light cycles have been found to be set significantly below established safety standards (a.k.a. "short lighting" or "short timing") at numerous red light camera intersections in order to maximize citation revenue.

Another tactic that cities have resorted to are "snitch tickets" which appear to have originated in California. If the photo is blurry or if the driver in the picture is obviously a different gender than the registered owner of the car, a fake ticket is sent imploring the recipient to "nominate" the individual photographed by the speeding camera or affirm that they were the driver. Unlike the real citations these notices do not instruct you to contact the court or pay a fine. If these conditions are present you can ignore the communication as the city lacks the necessary evidence to cite you.


We link to the Robo-Cops community below so that you may ask questions, share your experiences with traffic camera tickets and voice your opinions on the legality and efficacy of these citations!

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Class Action Lawsuits

6/12/07New Mexico: Class action lawsuit aims to shutter city's red-light cameras
Attorney Richard Sandoval of the Branch Law Firm initiated a lawsuit against the city on behalf of five people who were fined under the program. It has now been certified class action status by a judge and will be tried on behalf of all Albuquerque citizens who have been fined.
6/12/07South Dakota: Red Light Camera Case In Court
I.L. Wiedermann has filed a lawsuit against the city of Sioux City and Redflex, their red light camera equipment manufacturer, and is seeking class action status on behalf of all Sioux City residents who have paid red-light camera ticket fines. They argue that the city has set up an unconstitutional system whereby the owners of the photographed vehicles are presumed guilty rather than innocent.


Shortlighting

6/16/07New Mexico: Albuquerque yellow light cycles found to be 3 seconds in duration (See 6:00 update)
Albuquerque talk show host Jim Villanucci and a listener with a certified chronograph found a yellow light cycle to be 3.125 seconds in length. Listeners reported similar timings at a variety of intersections in the city. The next morning city technicians were observed by numerous residents adjusting the traffic lights, presumably to the 4 second duration city traffic engineer Kevin Broderick maintained the yellow lights were set at.

2/1/07Texas: Are Yellow Traffic Light Times Safe in Lubbock?
The Lubbock city council delayed installation of red light cameras after this local TV station investigation exposed the city's short timing of yellow lights at eight intersections where the devices were to be installed. One intersection was even found to have a 2.9 second yellow which is illegal under federal regulations.

9/25/05California: Union City Caught Trapping Motorists With Short Yellow
Union City, California trapped motorists with a yellow signal cycle that was 1.3 seconds less than the minimum set forth by state law. The city was then forced to refund red light camera fines amounting to more than $1 million.



New Deployments

6/14/07 Texas: Installation of red light cameras under way at Lufkin's major intersections
Installation of eleven new red light cameras is underway at major intersections in Lufkin. The cameras, which are to be installed by a company called Traffic Pax, are scheduled to be ready for operation in late July.
6/12/07Missouri: Cameras to Catch Red Runners
Red light cameras are scheduled to be deployed throughout Columbia, Missouri within two months.
6/7/07Arizona: New Photo Radar Cameras in Scottsdale
Three new speed cameras and red light cameras will be added to the six existing cameras on July 1. The devices will be operated by American Traffic Solutions.


New Shutdowns

5/22/07Texas: Speed cameras banned statewide
The speed camera ban, sponsored by representative Vicki Truitt, is set to end the speeding camera ticketing programs in Rhome and Marble Falls. All other cities in Texas are to be prohibited from issuing automated speeding tickets under the ban.
4/10/07Iowa: Senate Votes to Ban Red Light Cameras
The red light camera ban, introduced by senator Pat Ward, is set to prevent all Iowa cities from adopting programs in the future. Courts have ruled such programs illegal in the cities of Clive and Davenport. Council Bluffs is the remaining automated speed ticketing program to be shuttered.


New Camera Types

5/9/07Stop Sign Ticket Cameras Developed
Redflex has invented the first stop sign camera that will photograph and ticket drivers who make a "California Stop". Ironically, the first U.S. deployment of the system is slated to be in Los Angeles.
4/5/06New Camera Mails Automated Tickets to Noisy Cars
Motorists with loud ssubwoofers or modified, high-performance exhausts may soon be finding citations in their mailbox. Acoustic Research Laboratories, a New South Wales company, has developed a ticketing system using acoustic detection equipment comprised of a sound level meter, camera, computer, and WiFi connection.
12/20/05Parking Meter Reads Plates, Calls Your Cell
If you give the PhotoViolationMeter parking meter from Photo Violation Technologies Corp. your phone number it will call you when you run out of time. On the other hand, if someone parks and leaves without sufficiently feeding the meter the camera takes a picture of the offending car's license plate and sends it to a central computer in order to generate a citation.