Red-light Cameras

Back in November, I received an "infraction" for running a red light here in Sarasota, FL. I was mailed a photo of my license plate with the date, time and my speed as I recklessly careened through the intersection (I was going 3mph). I fought the citation by filing an affidavit stating that, because an emergency vehicle was approaching, I had no choice but to go through the red light to make room. The Sarasota PD was kind enough to write back explaining that since no emergency vehicle was seen "on the tape" and none of the other cars at the intersection (heading north, not taking a right turn) moved, my affidavit was denied. So, tomorrow I have a pretrial conference hearing. I'll update accordingly.

Back to my point: some company in Arizona sent me the infraction notice and wanted me to pay $158 with no points on my license. If I fight the ticket, the fee goes up to $264 with points. I had experienced something similar in Arkansas when I was ticketed for "imprudent driving" and informed if I challenged the ticket, the fee would increase.

My question: why the hell aren't people more pissed off about this? It is clearly a shake-down but who dares say anything to that effect?

Feel free to comment, wish me luck, or rant.

Best!

red light cameras are just another strong-arm tactic to bleed people dry, financially....or just an attempt at doing so.....i've heard of several people that supposedly "ran" a red light.....and received a notice in the mail demanding payment....my suggestion is to fight it.

It is a shake down. The company that installed the red light camera get's 40% of the ticket money, since they installed them pretty much fo free. Can you say recurring revenue.

When Law Enforcement becomes privatized you see the death of the legal system.
When Law Enforcement becomes a viable revenue stream you see the death of the legal system.

All fines levied at all levels of LE should go into a special account and be returned to the general population directly say once every year or so. Only then would the legal system function as it should.

At all levels, law enforcement on a Global Scale is diseased!

That disease is called GREED.

P

Red light cameras are nothing compared to parked, unmarked cars - what deterrent are they?! The only effective, proper way of curbing speeding and the like is a strong police presence on the roads, not hidden cameras. A fine with no points almost smacks of a bribe. You pay me this and we won’t take it any further. You take it further and lose you pay me more and I’ll take points. If they’re serious about road safety and not revenue raising, then scrap the fine and just take points. Get done three or four times in a three year period and you’d lose your license for x amount of time. But it isn’t about safety. It’s about money. When they predict and budget for how much money they expect in traffic fines I’d say that just about confirms it, really. If they worked then revenue from traffic violations would fall year on year, unless they increased the price to compensate each year.

Furthermore, every last dollar collected through traffic fines should be spent on the roads and nothing else. Where I live the roads are a disgrace and the transport system is third world. Many third world Asian countries actually have far far better systems. Fines on public transport should be pumped straight into the public transport system. Instead it goes into their coffers say that at the end of the financial year their books don’t look as bad. Helps balance them, I suppose.

reply to post by skoalman88

you may want to put some 'legwork' into determining if this is the case in your state. and i'm not sure if it works for interstate offences.

and you already blew it by responding.

in my state if you DO NOT RESPOND to the ticket in the mail, that's the end of it.
simple as that.