s'noJob

My wife and I were driving through Florida this month, and unbeknownst to us, suddenly we were the guests of honor models at a red light camera photo shoot.

Yesterday the citation came in the mail. One hundred and fifty eight dollars. It displayed the three damning shots: Our position when the light turned red, when we entered the intersection, and a super closeup of my vanity plate.

The citation invited us to visit the website, which showed incredibly high resolution views of the same shots, along with, get this, a video of us sailing through the red. I paused the video just as the yellow light was fading into red, and sure enough, there were several feet of pavement left before the white line. BUSSS-TED! Ironically, we were on our way to Daytona Speedway and were running late for the track tour.

Anyway, what was interesting is that the name on the citation was not mine, but my wife’s, even though I was driving. Both our names are on the registration – mine, then hers.

So it got me thinking, Why did they send it to her and not to me? Perhaps if the first name appearing on the registration is a man:

1. They suspect men might be more likely to fight a ticket than to pay?
2. They want wives to be aware of how their husbands are driving? Or where?
3. If the wife was driving, they want to give her a chance to cover her joyriding in hubby’s baby?

Anyway, what are your experiences with the dreaded Red Light Camera?

.

jrose7004

I think that they just picked a name on the registration and it was hers. I wouldn't read much into it.

calvins

They haven't gotten here yet that I know of. Between red light and speeding cams they're taking all the fun out of driving.

DevilDog II

I doubt if there's any particular reason behind it. What are the chances of someone from out-of-state going back to Florida to fight a ticket? Unfortunately, photo enforcement is all about generating revenue. We have a couple in our area and I've seen several near accidents because of people slamming on their brakes.

When I was a patrol officer I didn't like to write tickets to folks from out-of-state. We couldn't accept their driver's license as bond, so they had to follow us back to the police station to post a cash bond. It was much easier to give them a verbal or written warning and send them on their way. Besides, I always felt it was probably their first time driving on a particular road and it was easier to give them a break.

VETJAZZ

I worried about this when I was driving all around Florida a few months back. Especially the highway toll cameras. Sucks all the way around!

RetiredSFC 97

Don't you just love paying not only the city but the company who manages the red light cameras?

What a country

s'noJob

I did a Google map search of the intersection to see if there was a Red Light Camera warning sign before the intersection, and sure enough, there was. The view also showed large trucks on the side of the road. I wonder if the warning sign was blocked by a vehicle parked next to it at the time. The citation photos don't show that, of course.

That doesn't change the fact that I blazed through a red light, but if I had seen the sign, I probably wouldn't have challenged the intersection. I'm aware of the RLCs in my town and react accordingly.

Still, this incident, and its consequential costs, will serve to give me pause in the future. That fine could have filled my tank twice over and then some.

.

bikeriderga

Unless there was no traffic and the light was red for no reason (aka late nite/early monring no other traffic), I am sorry I cannot pity someone who runs a red light. Big danger to all other drivers.

Speeding cameras are all together different. Unless someone is truly driving reckless and endangering others, total BS.

Surfer G

I guess some have forgotten what they learned in Drivers ED,
yellow means
CAUTION prepare to STOP. Not (see if we can beat the Red light!)

MSG C5

That is true. However, there was also a local story (Sarasota, FL area) where they felt that the DOT was shortening yellow lights in order to produce more red light violation tickets. One of the area news teams did a before/after red light camera test and they confirmed that the yellow caution light had a 40% shorter duration after the red light camera was installed. The response from the DOT was that they would look into it to make sure the new technology did not alter the duration of the caution light. Yeah right...

My teenage daughter just earned her driver's license earlier this year. While teaching her, I pointed out "stale green" lights and that you should always be prepared to stop when approaching an intersection.

I remember one session when we approached an intersection and the light turned yellow. My daughter correctly prepared to stop, only to have the guy behind her driving a lifted pick-up truck w/smoke stack exhaust pass on her left, gun his engine and drive through the intersection as the light turned red.

I turned to my daughter and said, "That's what you watch for before you take off every time the light turns green!"

540i 6spd

Between me and the wife we have almost dropped a dime on these revenue streams.

540i 6spd

I guess you have never rolled a red light at 2 miles an hour to make a right hand turn.

Vetteman Jack

They have a few red light cameras in Columbia, MO (15 miles from here) but I've never had the displeasure of getting caught by one of them.

Evil-Twin

seems simple to me, brake to stop, gas to go.
cameras are set in such a way as to make sure you can't fight being caught red ( handed) lighted.
some people think they can chose to go through a red light. I see it all the time. I've been pushed through lights because the light was changing red and a guy is right on my butt, and not only have I gone through a red light but the guy behind me has clearly made the decision to blow the light. Choosing to stop in these situations would be a rear ender. Hopefully this people who are in a hurry will finally get caught blowing through these lights.

liveaboard74

Garmin has your answer and to any of you other guys that want to stop getting red light tickets spend a hundred and your done. Under a hundred with shipping off e bay.

No one gets in more jams than I do with the 80 foot car carrier at red lights but those same photo red lights send out a signal. Didn't know if you knew that.
Can be traveling up on a interstate and that Garmin 50L will pick up the photo light down on the streets below
Calif has gone crazy with them and thats all I run now is west coast back to east coast so fix the problem. Already have a great gps on my laptop but it sure don't have that photo pick up there. So there two.
She even gives me 2 loud dings and tells me there's a money alert ahead. Has a sexie voice to.. .........

esemes

There have been many lights that, upon review, didn't have the correct duration of yellow light time for the posted speed. There are many attorneys that can help, but the fine is likely gonna be the same - or less- than their work. Just dont let it sit too long as they'll raise the fine AND then assess points.

Sucks to hear...

wanna share the pics at least??

MrGary2011

Escort Radar MAX - they tell you where these rascals are located

gobuffsgo

Here in Texas they are not an actual moving violation. I would check into it. They cannot issue a warrant for failure to pay. If you are not going back, I would not pay it.

Choreo

The reason the tickets are issued in the wife's name is because they understand that regardless of who is behind the wheel, it is always the woman who is driving!

liveaboard74

Or better yet,, who own's him and his vette..

The ticket will be in who ever's name the plates are in. 4 so far. Had folks I delivered their cars to contact me with a ticket and their car was on the back bottom hanging off.
Catch on that one is the camera did not catch MY plates on the car hauler. Just the bottom back car so they can't give me a ticket on hear say or they think.