by sspo 22 Replies latest social current
My last speeding ticket was in Tennessee in 1993, was going 15 miles over the speed limit and got a $60 ticket. That was my last one.
Three weeks ago did not make a complete stop making a right turn here in California and got nailed with a "camera ticket".
Damage to my wallet ...$540 and have to take an 8hour class.
I guess California is in need of a lot of cash.
Do you have traffic cameras where you live or are they illegal?
Wow! That seems crazy high for a non reckless and non dangerous violation. I've had one from a traffic camera before too. But the fine wasn't anywhere close to that.
A couple of places around here (Seattle area) have a few. One city gave serious consideration to turning theirs off because so many people were disputing tickets and winning. The courts were getting clogged up and it ended up costing money.
Edited to add, at least here you can request a hearing and request that the guy who understands the mechanics of the system and reviews the cases show up in court. More than a few people have gotten off because he didn't show. One math prof got an automated speeding ticket and beat the system by measuring the distance his car traveled between the camera shots and proving he wasn't speeding.
I'm in two minds over this ...
On the one hand, some camera policies seem to be more todo with generating revenue than they are about ensuring safety. They should be challenged.
On the other hand, people with free time and/or money can effectively bypass traffic laws and in doing so clog up the system and require police be in court instead of out policing.
That is a heafty fine. Ironically, in my neck of the woods we call that a "California stop".
We have a lot of these cameras in my city, Calgary. Once I was nabbed with a $375 fine at 2:30AM for pushing through a red light. I was coming down a hill, it was late, not a soul on the road, and I hit the intersection as it was turning from yellow to red. But, they sent me a nice picture of myself in my car - crossing the line with a red light in view.
Doesn't matter the circumstance, I broke the law and paid up. The fine was sufficiently large that I sure have not made that mistake again.
I've never heard of the cameras catching people here who are making a right turn...
Here in California you can go to court but i think it would be a waste of time since that have a picture of you driving the car and a video of what happened. I checked the video on line and as they said it was not a complete stop.
We have them in the UK. Our fines are not unreasonable it's the points on your license that hurt......
Do you have traffic cameras where you live or are they illegal?
We have quite a few, but considerably less than a few years ago. A few years ago, they were installed on the freeways and they were wildly unpopular. A few of the highlights:
Motorcycle riders soon discovered (By watching motorcycle police) that there was a 'sweet spot' on the right hand side of the lane where the device was 'blind' to motorcycles.
People who knew the camera would not be able to capture their rear license plate (e.g. A pickup truck with the tailgate down and a legally extended load) would deliberately speed, giving the camera the finger as they went by.
The owner of a Hyundai Sonata received a citation for going 140+. Hyundai made an official statement to the effect that this model was not capable of that speed on level ground.
A camera technician was shot dead.
That is a heavy fine, but what would the fine have been if an actual officer had pulled you over and written that same ticket?
All of my speeding tickets are photo radar tickets. (I get one or two a year... going about 15 k over the limit) I haven't been pulled over in almost 15 years (and that was for driving regular speed through a school zone that I didn't realize was a school zone)
You can't loses points off a photo radar here, cantleave... because they can't prove who is driving the vehicle. We get a shot of the licence, and the back of the vehicle (and the back of someone's head). Alberta only has rear licence plates; no front ones.
Peace,
tammy
i got a speeding ticket a few years back..£60.00 fine ($100 ish)
pleaded insanity..
won
