By Jim Lissner
After reading your recent articles on the red light cameras controversy with Redflex Traffic Systems, I can see that you have done a lot of digging. Even more is going on, locally, nationally and internationally.
First, however, I am hoping that you will write about the controversy of the ability to ignore the tickets. It's kind of ironic that you have a headline saying, “Shh. Certain City Hall-Redflex Secrets Are Unfit for Public to Know,” but haven't yet written about the one secret that would actually save local motorists money — which they could spend on insurance, tires and brakes, an expenditure which, IMHO, is as much or more in the public interest as socking people (mostly older folks) with an exorbitant fine (in NYC, the fine is $50) for being 0.1 late at a light.
Preventive Measures:
1. A good bill is working its way through the state Legislature in Sacramento and it needs support from us. Two really bad bills and a potentially bad bill need to be watched. There's also a bad candidate running in the June 3 primary. Read more on the Action/Legis page, at: http://highwayrobbery.net/redlightcamsjoin.htm#Action5
2. Warn your California and Arizona friends about Snitch Tickets. They are fake tickets issued by the police, sneakily different from a real red light camera ticket. Read about them at the top of the Your Ticket page, at http://www.highwayrobbery.net/redlightcamsticket.htm#Fakes Let your friends know that real tickets issued by cities in Los Angeles County can be ignored, because the County court does not report ignored tickets to the DMV. (More info is in Set No. 2 on the L.A. County Docs page.) Educating your friends about these two big classes of tickets that can be ignored will reduce the money flowing to the greedy cities and camera companies. Hopefully, that would and hasten the demise of red light cameras in California.
3. There is a practical reason not to shop any more in red light towns. In the questionnaire on my website, I ask 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 quite 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. (Like playing with snakes — no matter how careful you are, eventually they will catch you off-guard and bite you.) 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 for lowered speed limits, which will allow cities to shorten yellows. In 2011, Gov. Brown signed AB 529, permitting cities to reduce posted speeds by 5 mph, even on streets with excellent safety records. I suggest the yellows were 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.
Mr. Lissner may be contacted at editor@highwayrobbery.net
