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Old 01-13-2011, 09:19 PM
 
10 posts, read 51,319 times
Reputation: 21

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Sooo…. I got caught by a red light camera in Tempe and I have a few questions for all y’all. Firstly, I know this topic has been beaten to death, and yes I have done board searches- but a lot of information is old or people are talking about the speed cameras.

Anyway, I was turning left from Southern Ave. onto Rural and was caught by the camera. When the light turned to red, my car was completely in the crosswalk zone, so I guess that means I technically ran the light as I wasn’t in the middle square. So what I’ve been reading is that while you can ignore a speed camera ticket, the red light ones are definitely enforced. My roommate told me that Tempe’s budget is hurting, so they will definitely come find me. I was thinking of ignoring the ticket, but everyone whom I’ve talked to have had speed tickets, not red light ones so I don’t know what my outcome would be. I REALLY don’t want this on my record and for what it’s worth, I have a clean license. So here are my options. Should I:

1) Ignore it until I am served personally and then take action whether it is paying the ticket or going to court. (I’ve heard Scottsdale uses “alternative methods” to serve you, I’m not sure if Tempe does.)
2) Go to court and plead to the judge without a lawyer in hopes he will forgive me.
3) Take the defensive driving program, plus “survival course”and pay court fees.
4) Pay the ticket. (I’m pretty sure that I don’t want to do this, because I don’t want any record of this on my history, plus I have no $)

I’m really frustrated by this. Plus, all 3 motorists in the lanes to my right (even a guy on a motorcycle) went through the red light as well. One of them was even farther back from the lines than me. I’m flat broke and so if there is any way that I can avoid paying the fee then I am willing to chance it.
Aside from the fact that I ran the red light, what am I supposed to do if I find myself in this situation again? Should I stay parked in the crosswalk zone and let the pedestrians walk around my car next to the traffic and have oncoming traffic swerve around me? Or am I supposed to back up and risk rear-ending myself into the next car that comes up behind me?

Here is my photo for your scrutinizing:



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Old 01-13-2011, 09:32 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,152,881 times
Reputation: 29983
So wait -- even though you're already across the line when it turns red, you still get a ticket because you're not completely across the line? What a bloody racket. I'm so sick of these stupid scameras.

I don't have a lot of advice for you for your current situation, but here's a couple of solutions for the future:


Last edited by Drover; 01-13-2011 at 09:51 PM..
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Old 01-13-2011, 09:59 PM
 
10 posts, read 51,319 times
Reputation: 21
Wow, those are awesome! I've always wanted something like that for my plate! But yeah, I guess you have to be inside the central square at the intersection to be let off.
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Old 01-13-2011, 10:58 PM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,152,881 times
Reputation: 29983
Quote:
Originally Posted by analoxe View Post
Wow, those are awesome! I've always wanted something like that for my plate! But yeah, I guess you have to be inside the central square at the intersection to be let off.
Wow. That is incredibly dicky.
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Old 01-14-2011, 12:02 AM
 
43 posts, read 114,291 times
Reputation: 31
Are points assessed against my driver's license for photo enforcement convictions?


Yes and No. In accordance with Arizona Administrative Code R17-4-404, Driver Point System, points are assessed by the Arizona MVD for each conviction reported to them by the Court. Each red light conviction is assigned two points, and each speed conviction is assigned three points. However the State of Arizona now has joined in the money frenzy. The photo radar tickets issued by the state carry no points and do not show on your license but do carry a hefty 181.00 fine.





i found it here Arizona Speeding Ticket


may or may not be right. the law may have changed. does the ticket say it is reported to the DMV? the same red light cams have just been put in my city (colorado spring) and they do not report to our DMV! American Traffic Solutions, Inc. (ATS) is the same red light cam installer here and there.



hope this helps
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Old 01-14-2011, 12:16 AM
 
43 posts, read 114,291 times
Reputation: 31
check this out No More Red Light Camera Tickets. Make Your Car Invisible To Police Speed Cameras With Our License Plate Cover, PhotoBlocker Spray, Radar Detectors, GPS, GPS Camera Detectors. Got A Traffic Ticket? Don’t Pay Yet. We Can Help Fight Your Speeding Cit better then the flapping plate and other one. no button to push! cheaper! be careful maybe illegal in AZ. check the law. sorry for the long link
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Old 01-14-2011, 02:20 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 103,152,881 times
Reputation: 29983
Quote:
Originally Posted by phx07 View Post
The "overexposure reflector" cover doesn't work because the people processing the tickets can electronically adjust the exposure, that "spray" crap is an outright fraud, and the polarized covers are halfway successful at best. Not to mention license plate covers are illegal in many states, though apparently not in Arizona. (The flip-down and cover thingy might be illegal too but they're a lot harder to detect when they're not in use.) GPS devices are useful in telling you where the stupid cameras are and that's useful information, but they are no defense against getting a really crappy ticket like the OP got. The best combo would be a GPS red-light/speed-camera locator combined with a more active countermeasures such as those I linked to.
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Old 01-14-2011, 06:24 AM
 
Location: Phoenix
7,167 posts, read 9,221,440 times
Reputation: 8326
I have a friend who bought one of those special covers. The police harrassed him until he removed it.
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Old 01-14-2011, 07:12 AM
 
Location: Tempe, Arizona
4,511 posts, read 13,577,050 times
Reputation: 2201
Quote:
Originally Posted by phx07 View Post
......The photo radar tickets issued by the state carry no points and do not show on your license but do carry a hefty 181.00 fine. ...
However, the OP's ticket was issued by the city of Tempe, and not the state. The state deactivated their photo radar units last year. Here's info on Tempe photo radar:

http://www.tempe.gov/police/Trafficb...radar_FAQs.htm
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Old 01-14-2011, 08:27 AM
 
10 posts, read 51,319 times
Reputation: 21
I thought that the plastic covers for license plates were illegal in Arizona? And I’ve heard that the reflective spray doesn’t work.

On my ticket I can’t find anywhere where it says that it is reported to the DMV, but I assume that points will be assessed for all of my options (whether I pay the ticket, or go to court and lose) except for the defensive driving school- where it clearly states on the paper that points will not be assessed. I got a little curious and checked out the different driving school options and I was pretty amused that half of them are online! I can’t believe that I can get out of running a red light for taking an online course from a company called: “The Improv Traffic school” and “Safe 2 Drive!” These sites sound like a joke. I really hate to use the driving school option because it’s like using my get out of jail free card, and if this happens again in the next two years I can’t use this option again.

Also, under the option to attend driving school it says:”If selecting this option, you do not pay the court fine, you only pay the fee to the school.” Yet on this website: Maricopa County
under Tempe it says that there is a court fine of 105 dollars that I must pay, and the driving schools I just looked at said I have to pay that too. So I am super confused right now….what exactly is the court fine the ticket is talking about?

This is driving me nuts!! I’m going to avoid driving through these recorded intersections now if I can help it.
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