Fighting a red light camera ticket

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I have never fought a traffic light charge. However from what i am told about toronto legal system.
Take it and fight it. I have heard they will drop the ticket because they have no time to handle a case. So in turn you get off scott free. Most people will not fight it and just pay the ticket.

Also after you file "not guilty" to fight the ticket you can call the crown attorney up and see if you can come to a plea to a lesser charge. (i do this procedure with speeding tickets.) Take a chance the worst that will happen is you will have to pay the full ticket amount. (court costs are not charged to you in traffic court here in ontario)

if the crown will not allow you to plea to a lesser charge (seatbelt charge is like that) then you have two options. Plead guilty in front of the judge and pay the ticket or take it to a trial with yourself and explain your story to the judge. Odds are you will end up paying the ticket, but sometimes the traffic pictures are seen to fail or have a flaw in the programming and all charges from that camera are dropped.

If you can get free time. Challenge the system!!!! Dont bend over backwards for the man! Stand up and challenge the man! The experience from this ticket will teach you valuable things for a potential next time you happen to be down the road.

I now challenge every ticket that is sent my way no matter what it is for. I have lost some battles and have won some battles, but the attempt was made in order to save on insurance costs later on.

The judge may also see you clean? record and throw it out of court for strange reasons. The chance to have it dropped is high from what i am told for toronto traffic violations.
 
In Washington State, since the ticket is not given by a police officer, the maximum penalty is the same as the maximum for parking tickets, and treated as a non-moving violation, and not reported on your driving record. All you have to do is say it wasn't you driving. You can even do that with a letter, and mail it in.
 
I have been there where you are now and you are so screwed with out a kiss.
And when your insurance company pulls your abstract you keep paying for three more years.
But if I had to do it over again I would fight it some how some way.
Kenny
 
All this yap yap yappin about pictures of your Scamp runnin a light. Shut up and post um. LOL I wanna see. Seriously.....and no offense, don't try to lie your way out of it. If you did it, you did it. Just pay it and be more conservative with your driving next time.
 
being from TO as well I know most tickets that a quashed are ones written in person by cops and requiring said cops to appear when you fight them , no cop appears you win -cop appears bend over and take it like a man . That said what I have done to protect myself so far is remove my front plate and the big ugly lower support that it bolts to ,BC is a front plate mandatory province but when they look at it I shrug and say they didn't build em that way in 69 , I know a few guys using that line for incomplete seatbelts what 's a 20-30 yr old punk know about cars built in 1969 ,they look at me 48 yrs old and say oh ok ,the older guys smile laugh and are too into the older cars to give a crap , no front plate no photo tickets so far
 
thanks for all the responses! I am the type of guy who isnt just going to sit and pay, so will schedule a court date...heck, im just gonna try to keep rescheduling until they hopefully throw it out.

NO, i will not post the pictures of my car...i find that to be private information

and yes, i did commit an offence, but to those who think i endangered lives...i will tell you, i was already moving through the intersection when the light turned red...that shows you that even on yellow, i had no chance of stopping, even following the speed limit (which i was)...when i drive the scamp, i drive like an absolute grandma- i get WAY more dirty looks than thumbs up because people either think its too noisy or think i drive like im turning 150 yrs old.

you are all probably right, i do really have no chance...how can one argue with the camera....but the case that you guys brought up may be good to show the justice of the peace (they are even real judges here, just some schmo who doesnt have legal training deciding...figure that one out!) and i think im going to go and inspect the light

I agree that these cameras are just flippin cash cows for the city, but i cant change that unfortunatly
 
Will they let you pay it sooner for a reduced cost?

In B.C. here Red-light tickets carry a fine of $167, which is reduced by $25 if the ticket's paid within 30 days.
 
yellowdartdave said:
"In regards to the yellow light and the time it takes to turn red, according to the ticket i recieved it says that the officer has certified that red light camera system was in proper working order when the picture was taken."

Go out and time the light and ask the same question. Also, when was the last time the timing was certifed to be correct ?
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so i should go out, time the light, and then ask what the proper time is for that specific light compared to my findings? and then maybe compare to another light of an intersection similar and ask why is it shorter...try and argue that? I can also ask about when the last time they checked it too- i thought that from the start, i mean, how do they know it was correct...how often do they check?

also, i cannot b.s. about glare as it was in a shady area...and there was nobody behind or beside me, just my buddy up ahead
 
megajoltman said:
Will they let you pay it sooner for a reduced cost?

In B.C. here Red-light tickets carry a fine of $167, which is reduced by $25 if the ticket's paid within 30 days.
Click to expand...

no, the payment actually has to be done within 15 days...that or the other options must chosen which are plead guilty to try and get the sentence reduced, or plead innocence...i have to either pay or decide within 15 days

i love how its 260 dollars, but the total payable including "set fine, applicable victim fine surcharge and costs" is 325...who the heck was the victim????:angry7:
 
Kind of funny timing of this I think I just got zapped picking up my kid today, a big truck was blocking the light and I was following him. That's why I had the cost it was the first thing I looked when I got home.

I guess I'm lucky if I can pay the 25
 
MSHRED,
That is what I am saying.
Find out what the lights are supposed to be timed at and then check the one that you got nailed by and a few others closeby.
If you find that it is faster than called for, get a stopwatch and a videocam and do a little taping and take it to court. You can say that yes, you did run the light but it was because the light turned red faster than it should have.
But you must use a stop watch with the digital camcorder and point it at the light.

It is worth a try if the light is timed incorrectly.

As for the worth of red light cameras (other than revenue enhancement), check out this video and tell me how many of them resulted in accidents by just barely blowing a red light.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-qvXbIenivk
 
You know there's a special spray paint that makes it impossible for a red light camera to get a clear shot of your plate, right? All the camera ends up getting is just a great big glare. LOL
 
well at least yours was only 325. mine was 500.

sendbinary2.jpg
 
I think the talk about the timing of the light. The jp will tell you that you are suppose to stop for a yellow light as per the driving handbook, also when approaching a light that you did not see green you are suppose to cover your brake because the light will be turning yellow, which you are suppose to stop for.
Aka Care and control of the vehicle.
which fine is worse? Failure to have Care and control of motor vehicle? (highway traffic act) or running a red light?
 
And not to be a jerk about it..

If the photo shows you entering the light on a red, that would mean you failed to stop for the yellow.. Which is a ticket in itself..

My vehicle got a photo ticket for speeding in construction zone..

I went to court , pled guilty with an explanation and asked for leniency from the judge..

Fine was reduced by 1/2

My opinion, ask for a break, don't p o the judge and you may very well get it reduced.. If your record is clean, let the judge know you are a good driver.
If you have kids, let the judge know that any leniency he/she could allow would allow you to pay for ( food/ education/ or some other realistic story)..

Good Luck !!
 
I think the talk about the timing of the light. The jp will tell you that you are suppose to stop for a yellow light as per the driving handbook, also when approaching a light that you did not see green you are suppose to cover your brake because the light will be turning yellow, which you are suppose to stop for.
Aka Care and control of the vehicle.
which fine is worse? Failure to have Care and control of motor vehicle? (highway traffic act) or running a red light?
 
These tickets are a closely monitored deal and the whole "timing is wrong" defense wont work, they are heavily documented and tested for this reason. Similarly life is about doing whats right, the right thing is to accept responsibility for your actions and your actions could have caused harm to an innocent person. Pay the fine and dont waste tax payers money trying to exploit the system. Furthermore rescheduling your court date wont get it "thrown out". That only works where an actual officer writes you a ticket, and he/she is not able to show for court. Do the right thing buddy and accept the responsibilty of running the red light and pay the ticket. I am sorry if I come off harsh, I think you can learn one of lifes lessons here that will build character.
 
dodgedifferent2 said:
I think the talk about the timing of the light. The jp will tell you that you are suppose to stop for a yellow light as per the driving handbook
Click to expand...


Depends on the state.

From Arizona:

If I am already in the intersection when the light turns red, will I get a citation?

No. Citations are only issued when a vehicle enters the intersection AFTER the light has turned red. If you enter the intersection on a green or yellow light you will not be photographed by the photo enforcement camera system.
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Arizona law was just changed in order to keep cities from shortening yellow light timing.

1 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
2 Section 1. Title 28, chapter 3, article 3, Arizona Revised Statutes,
3 is amended by adding section 28-655, to read:
4 28-655. Traffic control signals; yellow light duration
5 standards
6 THE DIRECTOR SHALL USE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING PRACTICES TO ADOPT STANDARDS
7 AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE DURATION OF YELLOW LIGHTS FOR INTERSECTIONS THAT
8 ARE AT NINETY DEGREE ANGLES AND THAT PROVIDE FOR EXACTLY FOUR DIRECTIONS OF
9 TRAVELING TRAFFIC. THE STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS SHALL REQUIRE THE
10 INTERSECTIONS THAT ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION AND THAT HAVE THE SAME SPEED
11 LIMITS AND THE SAME NUMBER OF LANES TO HAVE THE SAME YELLOW LIGHT DURATION.
12 Sec. 2. Title 28, chapter 3, article 21, Arizona Revised Statutes, is
13 amended by adding section 28-1203, to read:
14 28-1203. Red light running; photo enforcement system
15 installation
16 A. BEFORE A CITY OR TOWN MAY INSTALL A PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM AT AN
17 INTERSECTION TO DETECT VIOLATIONS OF ARTICLE 3 OF THIS CHAPTER, THE CITY OR
18 TOWN MUST COMPLY WITH THE YELLOW LIGHT DURATION STANDARD ESTABLISHED FOR THE
19 INTERSECTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 28-655.
20 B. A VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 3 OF THIS CHAPTER THAT IS DETECTED BY A
21 PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM MAY ONLY RESULT IN A TRAFFIC TICKET AND COMPLAINT IF
22 THE PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM PHOTOGRAPHS THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE
23 VIOLATION AT LEAST ONE SECOND AFTER THE TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL TURNS TO A
24 STEADY RED SIGNAL.
Click to expand...
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
As bad as it will hurt, just man up and pay the dues. Next time pay more attention and don't run the lights.
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Better yet move to Michigan, lol.

We have no speed or traffic cameras, well at least its not for traffic tickets. No car pool lanes, drunk driving check points--illegal to stop cars for no good reason.

No smog, safety checks for any personal cars, I don't know how well they check public cars for hire either.

Pretty good here expect we have no jobs left, lol
 
Hey how about your freaking car is 40 years old and can not stop as quick as these newer cars and there for the ticket should be thrown out since the cameras are not set up to check for 40 year old cars?

Yep I scream in court that you would have had to make a panic stop and maybe even lock up the back wheels and still might had stopped in the middle of the intersection.
 
Man up and pay it. Take responsibility for your mistakes...it happens. I don't know if you have the option to go to traffic school up there to keep it from counting against your insurance or not, but that's an option here. I ran one once and did the traffic school. Cost the same as the ticket, but didn't get reported to insurance, so saved the cost there.

I don't traffic drugs because I'm not willing to accept the consequences. Whatever rules or laws I break, it's because I'm willing to take the chance, which means I'll accept the consequences if I get caught. If you don't want to pay a red light ticket, don't run red lights.
 
My eighteen year old son got his first ticket a month back. It was a photo ticket for running a red light. It included a link to a video of him actually running the light!! He paid the ticket on his own within 48 hours of receiving it in the mail. $100 My attorney said we could have fought it and gotten out of it easily (I didn't ask how). He ran the light, he got caught, he paid the fine. He wanted to use that money for some other reason, but had to wait 2 weeks til he got paid again. He won't be running any more red lights any time soon.
 
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