Commuter Alert: What To Do Before You Pay That Red Light Ticket!

Commuter Alert: 

What To Do Before You Pay That Red Light Ticket! 

The City of Chicago has recently made national news regarding the review of over 9,000 red light traffic tickets after a surge in violations prompted suspicion among both drivers and city officials. Since the investigation began in late July, almost 70% of the tickets have been thrown out by a judge and thus, the city must refund over half a million dollars in revenue. On Wednesday of last week, the plot thickened with the federal indictment of the Redflex Traffic Systems CEO, who is accused of working with a top City Hall employee to rig the system for their own personal benefit for over a decade.

Unfortunately, the controversy regarding the validity of red light tickets has managed to reach much further than the Chicago scandal. California drivers from Millbrae on San Francisco's Peninsula have recently started questioning the reasons behind a spike in issued red light tickets as well, since numbers have jumped by over 50% from April to July of this year. Local officials believe that a sensitive sensor or timing issue might be causing the surge, but, that still remains problematic for drivers being unfairly ticketed. 

Over 700 countries currently use red-light cameras to issue traffic citations to drivers running red lights, "rolling stops" and other dangerous moves behind the wheel. However, much of the administrative work behind the cameras and tickets is outsourced to private companies like Redflex Traffic Systems and rarely monitored by state and local DOT's. This leaves room for a lot of holes with regards to validity and fairness for all ticketed drivers. 

So, what should you do if you find a red-light ticket in your mailbox? GeoTraffic is here to hook you up with some helpful tips: 

1. Be honest: ask yourself if you really deserve the ticket. 
          You know when you do something wrong. Maybe you were in a hurry to get to work or class, and you totally ran that red light. Then, to make matters worse, you caught of glimpse of the unwelcome flash as you cruised through the intersection at a speed much faster than is allowed or even recommended. Own it. Pay it. You will save yourself a lot of trouble in the long run. Like most of life's problems, traffic citations do not go away if you pretend they aren't there. They just get more expensive. 

2. If you are blindsided by the ticket, make sure you get all the photos. 
         Some states don't include photographs of your license plate along with the citation, so in that case, you'll want to make sure you have photographic evidence before you pull out your checkbook. When you do receive the photographs, make sure that the license plate is yours and that the driver bears reasonable likeness to you. Mistakes DO happen, and occasionally tickets are issued to the wrong plate numbers. 

3. If you remember getting the ticket but think the circumstances were unfair, request a court date. 
          If you got stuck in traffic at no fault of your own and caught on camera, or if you believe additional circumstances behind the issuance of your ticket should be reviewed, it is your right to request a court date. 

4. Be prepared - what to expect if you go to court. 
          At a trial, the government (whether represented by the police officer or a prosecutor) must present evidence on how the device works and that it was working properly on the date and time the citation was issued. The prosecution must also present the camera’s photos showing the vehicle’s license plate and the driver, along with the driver’s license photo of the vehicle’s registered owner. As in the case of the tickets under review by the Chicago local government, many of the cameras were rigged to take pictures at designated intervals instead of being triggered by someone physically running the light. 

5. Be your own best advocate.  
          If you received the ticket because you were attempting to avoid causing a major accident, or harming a pedestrian, be sure to mention it and come prepared with photographs of the intersection or street to help you explain your case. 

It's important to remember that the installation of red-light cameras has always been to increase the safety of both drivers and pedestrians in heavily traveled areas. However, much like unjustly issued parking tickets, many consumers will take a government document at face value and pay it without a second thought. In this kind of economic climate, it's always best to double check - even the government makes mistakes and not all cameras can be trusted!