Do they still give camera tickets? (San Francisco, Culver City: school, taxes, legally)

[gizmo980]

This is kind of off-topic, but I want to ask here since it's regarding state law.

Does anyone know if CA still issues moving violations via "camera cops?" I heard they don't anymore, since it was deemed unfair that you couldn't defend yourself - as you can when a cop pulls you over. I'm asking because I "accidentally" ran a red left-turn light tonight, when the moron in front of me slowed mid-way. Okay okay, I saw the light was red, but not until it was too late to stop. Oopsie-daisy.

For the San Franciscans here, I'll tell you which intersection and you might understand - it was at 19th Ave. (southbound) and Sloat, where you often have to wait 3-4 cycles to make a left turn. Anyway, just asking, even though I don't think it caught me... I didn't see a camera flash that time, nor when the other 4 people ran it during the cycles before. It says the intersection is camera enforced, but almost all of the big ones say that, and my roommate says they're not all active. Guess I'll be nervously checking the mail for a few weeks, regardless......

[Snort]

If you get a notice from someplace like Scottsdale, AZ, you can ignore it. Responding to that particular notice is an admission of fault and then you're screwed.
If the notice comes from the local police, well, then you are officially screwed and have to pay up.

[sonarrat]

In San Francisco, I think they don't have cameras in all the controlled intersections all the time, after all there are 36 of them. I've never seen that one flash. I swear, the camera light at Millbrae/Rollins can probably be seen from space...

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

In San Francisco, I think they don't have cameras in all the controlled intersections all the time, after all there are 36 of them. I've never seen that one flash. I swear, the camera light at Millbrae/Rollins can probably be seen from space...

OMG, that is exactly where I got my one and only camera ticket - at Millbrae and Rollins. It was for "not making a complete stop before turning right @ a red light" which was total BS... but unfortunately I didn't have the time to fight it, so I paid up. Thanks for the info!

[sonarrat]

That's where a lot of people I know got their one and only camera ticket. I drove through it every workday for about a year and I was VERY careful. I got flashed a couple times, but I can tell you for sure, it wasn't because I broke the law.

[dweej]

As long as you entered the intersection (crossed the white line) while the light was still yellow, it is not considered an infraction. So, if you were already proceeding through the intersection when the guy in front of you slowed down, you shouldn't have anything to worry about anyway. If you did run the light and the camera did catch you, they can only issue a ticket if your face is clearly visible in one of the photos. This became policy when people argued that they could lend their vehicle to others and therefore should not be held responsible for their bad driving. If this happened at night, there's even less of a chance that you'd receive a ticket because a clear picture of the driver's face is hard to obtain. Good luck!

[Donn2390]

A clear picture of my smiling face was not at all difficult to to obtain on my camera ticket..! They sent me a series of very clear pictures, before, during and after clearing the intersection. They even enclosed a note saying if I would like to go to the station, they would be happy to show me more pictures in greater detail.
Perhaps the cameras your refering to were old technology, but the one that got me couldn't have been more plain if I went to a photographer and posed for them... $391.00 worth of gleaming smile.
I haven't paid it yet, and just read there is a class action suit in Arizona against the same company that operates our cameras, so I am going to check in on seeing if there is anything I can do...
The ticket is $391.00, plus another $49.00 if I want traffic school, which I would be a fool not to do, and then I have to pay the school more when I get there...
Being a criminal really sucks....!!!

[Perkins Well]

I got one in Culver City a couple of years ago for $365. It was very questionable too, since most of my car was already in the intersection when it was yellow. People complain about high taxes in California, but this is how they really get you. Bastards.

[Snort]

Check out this website, and in particular, this page: http://www.highwayrobbery.net/redlig...cket.htm#Fakes

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by Perkins Well

I got one in Culver City a couple of years ago for $365. It was very questionable too, since most of my car was already in the intersection when it was yellow. People complain about high taxes in California, but this is how they really get you. Bastards.

Legally, if any part of your vehicle is not over the limit line when it turns red, you've run the light.