Went through a red light camera while the light was still green..am I going to get a ticket?

by **garret** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:20 am

I passed and cleared the intersection on green just before the light turned yellow. My speed I was traveling was 38 mph in a 35-aren't you supposed to go a little faster in the passing lane btw (36-39)? I saw no camera flash. I've had friends that ran red light cameras-many of them ran at least 2 (they got ticketed at least twice too) and they all saw a HUGE flash behind them-I didn't see any. I've heard of the police illegally altering red light camera pics to make it look like I ran a red light-they can just photoshop the green light and make it yellow or red. But if I do get a ticket, can I fight it?

by **sebastiano** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:24 am

Yes you can fight it. If the light was green it was unlikely you will get a ticket though. it is highly unusual for the police to go to that much effort to convict someone of a minor traffic offence. You will be fine.

by **corcoran42** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:29 am

Why worry about something that is not going to happen?
I doubt seriously that the police need to photoshop those pixs there is plenty
of people that jump red lights they got plenty of them on camera.

by **gowan** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:31 am

If the light was green you should not get a ticket.

by **karlitis** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:33 am

You went through a green light and you didn't see a camera flash. I sincerely doubt that you're gonna get ticketed. So, chill out :)

by **marlan43** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:36 am

Anyone who told you that the police alter red light camera shots is lying, since the camera does not photograph all cars passing through the intersection. Sensors detect when a car goes through the intersection when the light for them is red. If you went through on the green, your picture was not taken. As for your speed, you are mistaken as to the purpose of the left lane. While most officers give you a break, you technically can be cited for 38 in a 35, You feel you have broken the law, or you would not be concerned about it. To quote Jim Carey in 'Liar, Liar,' "Quit breaking the law!"

by **colum** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:41 am

A red light camera will only go off if you enter the intersection after the light has already turned red. If it wasn't red when you entered, you will not be photographed. However, some red light cameras also act as speed cameras and will detect you if you are speeding.

If the speed limit is 35, then the maximum speed you are allowed to go is 35, in any lane, for any reason. Going 38 in a 35 zone is illegal, and you are not supposed to go faster in other lanes.

As for photoshopping the image, this isn't going to happen. For one thing, no police officer would go to such trouble and risk losing his job (and possible legal prosecution) for the purposes of issuing one more speeding fine. Additionally, when a traffic camera takes a picture, it saves a second copy of the picture in its own internal cache. These caches use "WORM" chips (meaning "write once read many"); once data is entered into these chips it cannot be removed or altered. So a simple photoshop job would not work, and again, no officer would try it.

So no, unless it was a combined speed/red light camera, you won't get a ticket. If you do get one, you can fight it, but you'd need to have a good reason to dispute it, which it looks like you don't.

by **fiacre68** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:46 am

Probably not, as you did not see a flash. Red lite cameras record speed , too, so some may be used to catch speeders only/as well. My tticket had speed, too, on it. Speeding Is speeding, 37 in a 35 is still 5% over, and, 2 mph. You only think your speedo reads low, have you had it checked at a regular shop? Mine reads 1 mph low on some radar speed "advisers", 1 mph high on others.

And, @Starlord: Yes, they Can shorten yellows. They can send you a ticket for hitting it on a yellow, or green, if they want to, It is all public revenue, they gamble that many are too busy to fight and will just pay it. A NM town shortened its yellows to get more tickets. Until the majority of the populous protested, they got away with it. A TX town protested cameras at all, they were eventually removed. It is hard to get most of any citizens of any place to agree on anything, and then Do something about it, unless it Directly affects their pocketbook. Legality doesn't stop cops, or, City Hall...

EDIT:@Bob: No. I hit a lite on a yellow, it turned red 1/2 way thru, still got a" flash". Ticket 6 weeks later. Video even Shows I was on a yellow, yet still got ticket. Fighting it.

REF: docket # M-1041-TR-0012007919 citation # A-P0139154

by **stein74** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:49 am

A red light camera captures vehicles that cross the stop line/crosswalk after the light has changed to red.

If you were through the intersection while the light was still green, your picture wasn't even taken. There's nothing for them to "alter" even if they wanted to. And trust me, red light cameras generate so many tickets that we don't need to alter them to create more. It's a more efficient use of our time to process the legitimate tickets.

Also, red light cameras are not authorized for monitoring speed and citations cannot be issued because of that camera for speeding. That's a separate camera and separate ordinance. (In many jurisdictions, they have "decriminalized" red light violations noted by cameras so that they can cite the registered owner of the vehicle rather than the driver. That's why it's probably an ordinance.)

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