I got a stupid red light camera ticket!

[4greatboys]

We have them here in Houston. There was a vote to keep them or not. The majority voted not to have them so they turned them off. Then they turned them back on because the city had a contract in place with the camera company and were having to pay them anyway. Seems like they should have looked into that before putting it out for a vote.

The ticket is not a criminal offense. It does not go on your driving record, nor can you fight it.

 

[jen0610]

I hate those "no right turn on red intersections" because there are so few of them, I'm not expecting to encounter one, so I miss the signs too.

Plus, I hate sitting there waiting on a green light because inevitably the person behind me doesn't realize it's a "no turn on red" deal and they get impatient and honk.

We have several of them here in town. With quite a few of them with the added sign below it stating:

MONDAY - FRIDAY
6:00 AM TO 8:00 AM
3:00 PM TO 6:00 PM

And it amazes me the number of people like you, who will honk at me as I am sitting at this light on a Thursday afternoon at 5 o'clock. If they honk, I have no issue rolling down the window and sticking my arm out and pointing at one or both the signs showing this. At most of the ones with specific times, it is posted twice. Once up by the light and once on the pole at the corner.

But on the other foot, it also amazes me how many people can read the sign and figure out that at noon on Sunday, it is legal to make a right on red at that intersection.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

We have one "no turn on red" area here where there is only one sign...and it's posted a good 5-6 car lengths BEFORE the light - just barely visible in a bush. As a result, almost everyone makes the right turn on the red light. I know it's there, so I sit and wait...listening to the honks coming from behind me...

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I hate those "no right turn on red intersections" because there are so few of them, I'm not expecting to encounter one, so I miss the signs too.

Plus, I hate sitting there waiting on a green light because inevitably the person behind me doesn't realize it's a "no turn on red" deal and they get impatient and honk.

There's one intersection I go through every once in a while that has red arrows in the right turn lanes. I thought it was pretty clear that a red arrow means no turn on red. However every single time I'm there I see people turning anyway. Once I had about four cars go around me to turn right, while I sat there, patiently waiting for a green arrow.

 

[Iluvthemouse]

I got one recently and the fine was $100..

Problem was it was in a state not near me and a white truck and I own a blue car..

I had to call and they said they would dismiss it..

So mistakes do happen...

 

[daughtersrus]

I'm mad at myself. I got a dumb red light camera ticket for turning right with a no turn on red sign that I did not see! What a waste of $100. They don't give you long to pay it either-under a month. Enjoy my money city of Naperville!

I remember when Bolingbrook was the first suburb to install them in the Chicago area. A lot of people from Naperville got tickets and threatened to stop shopping in Bolingbrook. Bolingbrook removed them all years ago and now they're popping up everywhere, even in Naperville.

Remember, when you stop at a red light camera enforced intersection, not only do you have to stop before turning red, but you must stop behind the big white line. Lots of people get tickets for illegal turns, not because they didn't stop but because they didn't stop behind the line.

OP, sorry about the ticket. Was it at Ogden and Aurora Ave? My DD used to go that way every day when she was teaching in DeKalb. She made sure that she stopped if the light changed and on two occasions, she almost got rear-ended.

 

[njmom47]

About that....my town has a bunch of cameras, and yesterday I sorta ran 2 red lights (they must have the shortest ambers ever!) so I am waiting to see.

 

[sam_gordon]

There's one intersection I go through every once in a while that has red arrows in the right turn lanes. I thought it was pretty clear that a red arrow means no turn on red. However every single time I'm there I see people turning anyway. Once I had about four cars go around me to turn right, while I sat there, patiently waiting for a green arrow.

I would not know that. Without other signage, I would assume I could still turn right on red.

Doing a quick google search, you're correct for NY & California, but not for Florida. Don't know about other states.

 

[LilyWDW]

You know, that all just doesn't make sense. The most cost-effective solution seems to be simply reprogram the yellow light to a legal interval. Why give up on the (apparently) large revenue from the fines and the opportunity to educate the drivers that traffic laws need to be obeyed? Is it because a politician broke the law? That's unreasonable. As for increased accidents, well, it's up to the drivers behind to follow at a safe enough distance and speed so they can stop safely.

I agree with you kaytieeldr. We have seen a decrease in accidents at the main intersections where these cameras were installed. It used to be crazy around here with the sheer number of people who ran red lights. I would rather have these cameras.

In fact, I would be fine with radar based speeding tickets like they have in areas of Europe. It would free up officers to more serious issues and you would still have enforcement of traffic laws.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

There's one intersection I go through every once in a while that has red arrows in the right turn lanes. I thought it was pretty clear that a red arrow means no turn on red. However every single time I'm there I see people turning anyway. Once I had about four cars go around me to turn right, while I sat there, patiently waiting for a green arrow.

It's allowed here in Florida unless there is a sign stating otherwise. You have to (obviously) come to a complete stop, and if it is clear you will be allowed to make the right hand turn.

I know there are a few "no turn on red" signs/lights in Downtown, but I can't think of any others.

 

[mom2aandj]

a year or so ago the Chicago Tribune did an extensive investigation into all the red light camera intersections in the Chicago area, and found that very few intersections saw accidents decrease but that MANY intersections saw increases. It did not improve safety at all according to their review, primarily because most of the cameras' tickets were issued for rolling right turns on red, which is not a huge cause of accidents.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...ight-violators-idot-records-showed-collisions

There is one intersection near us that is incredibly aggravating, they have it set up to FLASH every single time someone goes through the intersection on red, even though right turns on red are legal. That flash is blinding when it is dark out. I am positive that the flash itself is going to cause an accident some day soon!

 

[klmall]

We have these cameras everywhere in our congested county plus "portable" cameras they can set up wherever they wish! Supposedly they have cut down on accidents and speeding but I'm sure they have also helped the revenue deficit.

The other big traffic ticket sources here are those cameras found at almost every one of our 200+ schools. If you don't drop your speed to 25 or whatever even in the middle of the night you WILL get a ticket. While I understand the need to protect our children this seems a bit hard to swallow.

 

[wdwfam]

When I read the title for this thread, I thought you must be in the Chicago area. Then I read that you are in a suburb. DS goes to a medical school in the suburbs and has had two of those type of tickets in 2 years - at the same intersection! They isn't a sign that says "no turn on right", though.

 

[Squirrel!!!]

I got one of those about 10 years ago and was amazed how clear the photos were! How clearly you could see my car, my license plate, my determined expression as I zipped through the once yellow light. Oops.

My fine was $271. I remember it exactly even though it was 10 years ago. I was on maternity leave...and that money HURT!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Makes me wonder if the camera is time lapsed like every 3-5 seconds to give you that impression that you did not stop.

It was very smooth, not choppy, I think it's an actual video, not a series of pictures. And the cars going by perpendicular to the street we're coming from are driving smoothly through the frame as well. I watched it many, many times....

But it will always mystify me! It's an intersection that's connected with very complicated on and off ramps from the highway, and it's also a main road to the Port of Tacoma, so there are always big trucks including logging trucks around there... It's an intricate intersection and we are always careful while dealing with it, so it's just flat out weird that he rolled on through the red light and neither of us noticed it.

 

[wtpntigger2]

Remember, when you stop at a red light camera enforced intersection, not only do you have to stop before turning red, but you must stop behind the big white line. Lots of people get tickets for illegal turns, not because they didn't stop but because they didn't stop behind the line.

The big problem is that most white lines are too far back to watch traffic and then be able to make a legal right on red. I think as long as you can prove you came to a full and complete stop before turning even if past the white line, they should have no case against you.

Of course the other issue is these cameras were originally for red light runners straight through an intersection, but there's higher revenue in ticketing rights on red. In fact there is an intersection near where I live that at the light you can only turn left or right, so it's only purpose is to ticket right on red.

I will give my town props -- before completely taking the cameras out, they never gave tickets for right on red, only for red light runners.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The big problem is that most white lines are too far back to watch traffic and then be able to make a legal right on red. I think as long as you can prove you came to a full and complete stop before turning even if past the white line, they should have no case against you.

The truly big problem is that so few drivers bother to come to a full stop before turning right on red in the many places that action is allowed (ditto for stop signs, ever, but that's an issue for another thread ).

And if the driver can't see from behind the stop line whether it's safe to turn? Wait for the green.

 

[starwood]

My complaint is with no turn on red signs. Here in NJ they are more common than intersections where you can turn. I don't understand why they can't have one uniform place where they place the signs. Sometimes they are up by the light other times they are on a sign on the curb. They aren't necessarily at the corner either. If you get to the stop line and don't see a sign at the light you wonder if you passed the sign on your right.

Then you have the people that won't turn right on the red light because it is illegal at half of the intersections so you have to sit through the light anyway.

 

[daughtersrus]

The big problem is that most white lines are too far back to watch traffic and then be able to make a legal right on red. I think as long as you can prove you came to a full and complete stop before turning even if past the white line, they should have no case against you.

The tickets were not thrown out here. As a matter of fact, if you go to court and loose, there is an extra fee added.

The law says that you have to stop behind the white line. This is because the line is behind the crosswalk. If you go past it without stopping, you may hit someone crossing the street. If you can't see clearly, once you stop behind the line, you can proceed forward and stop again so that you get a clear view of traffic. The law does not require you to turn right on a red, it only gives you the option to if you want. (and it's not marked "no turn on red").

People that got tickets here were not only given a still picture but a link to watch the video online.

 

[wtpntigger2]

The tickets were not thrown out here. As a matter of fact, if you go to court and loose, there is an extra fee added.

The law says that you have to stop behind the white line. This is because the line is behind the crosswalk. If you go past it without stopping, you may hit someone crossing the street. If you can't see clearly, once you stop behind the line, you can proceed forward and stop again so that you get a clear view of traffic. The law does not require you to turn right on a red, it only gives you the option to if you want. (and it's not marked "no turn on red").

People that got tickets here were not only given a still picture but a link to watch the video online.

Oh I come to a complete stop behind the white line first. Then I move up and come to a complete stop again. So far so good, but I'm always a wreck that I'll end up with a ticket.

I still think they're using the cameras beyond their original intent to reduce accidents and just use them as revenue makers.