Photo radar ticket issued to incorrect driver - need advise. (Phoenix: to live, costs) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

happyazmom · 01-19-2009, 10:52 PM

I haven't followed much of the photo radar issue until I received a photo radar ticket in the mail this week.
There are 2 pictures on the ticket. 1 is of the front of the car showing the driver. 1 is of the back of the car showing the license plate.
The picture of the driver is not me or my husband and is not even my car. I drive a white chevy tahoe. The picture of the driver is a male driving a white chevy vehicle. However, the grill on his car is completely different than my car. It looks like a honeycomb grill you see on trucks. Mine is very different. The back picture does have my license plate so that's how the ticket came to me. I called the 800 number and they completely disregarded me and my question. I shouldn't have to pay for a ticket that is clearly not mine. What can I do? If the grill was not showing the their picture, how would I even be able to fight the ticket? Does this happen to a lot of people? Seems like a terrible glitch.

Cyborg13 · 01-19-2009, 11:50 PM

There are instructions on the back for what to do if you were not the driver. I believe you have to send in a copy of photo ID (drivers license) showing that it is not you, and it should be dismissed.

happyazmom · 01-20-2009, 07:57 AM

I didn't realize it would be that easy. Thank you.

belami28 · 01-23-2009, 06:45 PM

The tiicket is not legall untill signed, with no action, you will have to be served. If not served, no ticket. This is run by a private company for profit. MVD does not issue a warrent. It costs to follow up. This is not between you and the state, or city, yet

vegaspilgrim · 01-23-2009, 06:51 PM

I would go down to the offices of wherever these tickets are sent with torches and pitchforks and raise bloody hell. That is an OUTRAGE!!!

shaneariz · 01-23-2009, 08:03 PM

This happened to me, and ended up absolutely a nightmare. We received a red light citation in the mail. Van is registered to me, so it was in my name. Back of van with license plate was clearly my van. Driver photo was a blur. My friend had the van that day, so I fought the citation, as the owner, me, was not driving that day. I filled out the proper paperwork. I was really hoping that the photo in court when I attended to fight the citation would be clearer than the blurry picture. Knowing it was my friend that had the van that day, I could study the photo and make out it was my friend in the picture. Showed up at court and saw a few people with similar cases (and clearer pictures) have the cases dismissed. When it was my turn the Phoenix officer at the court as well as the judge told me they could not tell if it was me or someone else at the wheel of the vehicle. I explained it was my friend who drove the van that day and I had never had a moving violation in my ten years in Arizona. The judge told me that in most probability, it was me that had my van that day. So, I received a fine of hundreds of dollars, the points showed up on my drivers record for years, and I had to attend a mandatory class red light runners were ordered to attend. He asked the police officer the speed of the vehicle when it crossed the intersection. Officer stated it was the legal posted limit. The judge ended my session by telling me I was lucky, he could have aggravated the citation if "I" had been speeding.

kdog · 01-23-2009, 08:24 PM

Why didn't you simply have the "friend" show up in court and confess that it was her who was speeding?

motormaker · 01-24-2009, 10:33 AM

It was a red light violation, not speeding.

buckeyenative01 · 01-24-2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

I would go down to the offices of wherever these tickets are sent with torches and pitchforks and raise bloody hell. That is an OUTRAGE!!!

They tried and got, if I remember correctly, about fifty people to show up (the protest started in the afternoon on a weekday). The location of the camera company is somewhere in North Phoenix so its not exactly the easiest location to get to if you work in Downtown or the East Valley.

We b*tch and moan about the cameras (even the State Legislature agrees they suck) but so long as this generates revenue, Governor Brewer (and Napolitano before her) won't be taking the cameras down anytime soon.

EntropyIsMe · 01-31-2009, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happyazmom

I haven't followed much of the photo radar issue until I received a photo radar ticket in the mail this week.
There are 2 pictures on the ticket. 1 is of the front of the car showing the driver. 1 is of the back of the car showing the license plate.
The picture of the driver is not me or my husband and is not even my car. I drive a white chevy tahoe. The picture of the driver is a male driving a white chevy vehicle. However, the grill on his car is completely different than my car. It looks like a honeycomb grill you see on trucks. Mine is very different. The back picture does have my license plate so that's how the ticket came to me. I called the 800 number and they completely disregarded me and my question. I shouldn't have to pay for a ticket that is clearly not mine. What can I do? If the grill was not showing the their picture, how would I even be able to fight the ticket? Does this happen to a lot of people? Seems like a terrible glitch.

I have been following the radar issue, and I have a lot to say on the subject, but for now I'll just leave it at this: I have never gotten a photo radar/red light ticket until now.

I just checked my mail when I came home, and in the box I found a wonderful little gift from Mesa, saying I was going 66 in a 45, with pictures showing the rear of my car, including the license plate, and a driver of a different car: someone I've never met. It's obvious (to me) that it's not my car, as the interior is gray in the driver photo, and my car's interior is black, and there is a graduation tassel on the rear-view mirror.

Now, if I can show up in court and it will be dismissed, all the better (and if I can get this done a simpler way without missing work, better still).

Here is the most galling thing, though. I am getting more and more afraid of approaching intersections with cameras all the time. I have been flashed several times when I was doing nothing wrong--including this time--but I have never gotten a ticket until now (I've only had the burden of worrying that this exact thing would happen).

You see, I specifically remember when I got flashed at this particular intersection (2 weeks ago). I was so freaked out about even approaching that intersection that I took extra care to pay attention that I was doing everything right, to the letter of the law and beyond. I was buckled up, the light had just turned green, and I even SLOWED DOWN so I was going 5 MPH UNDER the limit. And nobody around me was speeding either. I didn't even know why the cameras flashed. Yet I'm getting a ticket. I have to take time off work and deal with the stress of this. I have to deal with the fear that I can't fight this travesty, that, like shaneariz, I will be railroaded based on "what the computer said" happened. This is plain wrong.

I really hate these cameras. As I said, I am becoming more and more afraid of approaching intersections that have them. I have slammed on my brakes more than once when I wasn't at all sure I'd make it. In Chandler, there are dark red lines that determine when you're "actually" in the intersection. These are sometimes 10-15 feet beyond the crosswalk lines, and they are difficult to see, especially when you're driving at the speed limit. I have been flashed many times, knowing I was driving fine, but not knowing if I was going to receive a wrong ticket. It's getting to the point that I'd rather turn right than go through an intersection if the "Don't Walk" hand is flashing. Every time the sun glints off a shiny surface into my eyes my heart skips a beat and I think "What did I do?". This is no way to live. This has to stop.