I was clearly in the intersection and the light was yellow when the flash went off. I'd say almost my whole vehicle was in the intersection when the flash went off.

Do they screen these photos and discard the ones that are questionable, or is the machine on autopilot and just send a ticket regardless to see who is going to show up to contest it?

Maybe it wasn't even me they were taking a picture of. Maybe it was someone in the next lane over. I never even saw the red light the whole time I drove through the intersection.

The only thing I know for certain is that I was already well into the intersection when the light turned red.

Tony.

Was it the one at 72nd and L. Boones Ferry?

Just because it flashes does not mean it was accurate.

I have seen RLCs take photos of an empty intersection on a foggy day.

I believe someone does review them. Also, are you sure you're the one it was taking photos of? Could there have been more than one vehicle or pedestrian in the intersection at that time?

99W and Roy Rogers. I was on my way to Tri County Gun Club. It may have been taking a picture of someone else. Maybe someone in the next lane over, but I'm not sure. I don't recall anyone behind me but there was a truck to the left of me. Maybe someone turned left on a red left arrow that I didn't see.

Tony.

Although not quite the same scenario as your ticket, I enjoyed the story of this law professor who spent considerable time and effort to fight a speeding ticket he received from a traffic camera system when he knew that he could not have been guilty.

This is the 19 minute audio story of his journey through the court proceedings.

One Law Professor, One Traffic Ticket, and a Whole Lotta Antics

Good luck, hope you don't get a ticket!

The ones by me, just pulling up to the stop line quickly makes then go off. So unless you have the ticket in hand, seeing a flash it doesn't mean you're getting one.

I once slid through an intersection in a rain storm. I only bothered trying to stop because I knew there was a camera. I slid sideways, ended up facing 90º to the right when I finally stopped in the middle of the intersection. Thought for sure I was getting a ticket, but didn't. So either...
1. It was raining so hard the camera couldn't read my plate.
2. I turned so much it couldn't see my plate.
3. an actual human reviewed it and said "He really tried to stop." ( I seriously doubt it, it was probably #1 or #2.)

Sounds like the camera was in the wrong. I wouldn't worry about it until you get served (for RLC, most likely by mail), which won't happen if you were on a yellow.

An officer has to sign the ticket before it is sent.

The officer is supposed to look at the photo and determine if the vehicle is completely in the intersection before the light turns red.

The photo is typically sent with the ticket for you to verify, and to use to fight the ticket.

A live human reviews these before a cite is mailed. I got flashed once because my bumper crossed the white line, but I had no intention of running the red light. The RLC flashed three times. I'm sure, when the live person reviewed it and saw that my car didn't move in any of the three photos and was still mostly behind the stop line, that's how they decided to trash it.

The potential problem here in Oregon, is that you're supposed to stop for a yellow... So, it depends. Also, the law the just passed a while back also allows them to issue speeding tickets with red light cameras in Oregon.

some times i wonder how i survive the day. I posted the link above here on sig forum an not on another forum i frequent.

Thanks for the link.

The few around here have a link to the ticket, when you get it in the mail & includes the offence in video, unluckily in my case (right on red without full stop).

When they were still here in north Austin area, I saw flash behind me, thought I was in yellow. Got ticket months later and went to challenge it at the PD HQ. It turned out that they also had VIDEO and I was clearly running red - no denying. But officer was in a nice mood and pretty much gave me a verbal warning and cancel the ticket.

I did read that if challenged in courts, they'd have a tough time proving that you were in fact the driver.

Even if they issue a ticket, you can fight it. If the photo shows the light wasn't red, you probably have a good chance of winning.

They are supposed to be screened before ticket is issued.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
Even if they issue a ticket, you can fight it. If the photo shows the light wasn't red, you probably have a good chance of winning.

Maybe where you live, but not around here. Many Florida cities simply send 'all' of their photo tickets out knowing full well and good its too expensive and time consuming for the vast majority of drivers to fight them. Last time I checked, a couple local cities had an almost 100% success rate with drivers simply paying the tickets. This photo crap is such a scam.

In Tennessee, photo tickets cannot be used against your driving record ("points" on your license) or credit. The notice specifies this. (Don't ask me how I know this.)

That has happened to me in AZ and no ticket ever arrived.

As a side note, I have ignored several photo tickets (I used to work in an area ripe with cameras) and in all but one case I never heard another word about it and the one I did hear about I was served which i was told was purely random.

According to an attorney friend the system (at least here) is based on numbers and fear and because they have no actual proof you ever received the ticket they cannot do anything which is were the process serving comes in.

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:

The only thing I know for certain is that I was already well into the intersection when the light turned red.

Tony.

If the light was red when you were in the intersection then you ran a red light.

It doesn't matter that you entered into the intersection when the light was yellow.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Shaql:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by benny6:

The only thing I know for certain is that I was already well into the intersection when the light turned red.


I thought, or was always told that if you car broke the plane of the intersection while the light was yellow then you were OK even if the light changed to red while you were still in intersection?


]

Here if you are past the line when the light turns red you are still legal.