Re “What If You Blew Off a Red Light Camera Ticket? Never Mind.”
“Although law enforcement officers have claimed since the late 1990s that red light cameras will reduce red light running, that has not been my experience in the 10 years I have been monitoring the data,” a woman tells the newspaper.
Driven to years of research because she was served an expensive red light camera ticket 10 years ago in Culver City, the woman who insisted on anonymity, directed inquiries to a website (see Set No. 13 on this page: http://highwayrobbery.net/redlightcamsdocsculvmain.htm )
“On Set No. 13,” she said, “you will see that red light camera ticketing is way up in Culver City, despite claims to the contrary by police. “
“This,” she adds, “despite the industry claim that over time, cameras will reduce red light running.
“One month ago, a government research group has come out with a report that yellow lights be made longer. This is the government, not a self-interest agency that can be counted as whackos.
“They recommended making yellow lights four- to six-tenths of a second longer.”
No matter how flimsy or brief that time span seems, the woman said, “the group claims that lengthening them by that much will more than halve the number of red light camera tickets.”
Tips for the Camera-Conscious
The woman also made the following suggestions:
“1. On Sept. 28, Gov. Brown signed SB 1303, which makes numerous changes to the law applicable to red light cameras. Most o changes will go into effect on Jan. 1. Details about the bill are at the website mentioned above, at the top of the Action/Legis page.
“2. Warn your California and Arizona friends about Snitch Tickets. They are fake tickets issued by the police. They are sneakily different from a real red light camera ticket! Read about them on the Your Ticket page, at http://www.highwayrobbery.net/redlightcamsticket.htm#Fakes Also let your friends know that real tickets issued by cities in L.A. County (only) can be ignored, because the L.A. County court system does not report ignored tickets to the DMV. (Emphasize to your friends that this information applies only to tickets from cities that are in L.A County.)
“3. There is a practical reason not to shop any more in red light towns. In the questionnaire on the website, I have asked defendants how often they have driven through the intersection where they got their ticket. While the majority of defendants were caught at intersections they had not visited previously, many were flashed at an intersection they were very familiar with. Conclusion: You are not safe from getting a ticket – or getting in an accident – simply because you know there's a camera there. It is necessary to change your routine, to eliminate repeated visits to the intersection. (It's like playing with snakes – no matter how careful you try to be, eventually they will catch you off guard, and you will get bit.) The small amount of money you have saved at the big box discount store in that town will be more than offset by the cost of tickets, rear-ending someone, or being rear-ended.
“4. Watch out for lowered speed limits, which will in turn allow cities to shorten yellows. In 2011 Gov. Brown signed AB 529, which allows cities to reduce posted speeds by 5 mph, even on streets with strong safety records. I am suggesting that the yellows shortened as a result of AB 529 be named “Gatto Yellows” in honor of the author of the bill. See the Action/Legis page for more information.”
