How to fight a traffic camera - speeding ticket citation - Tacoma Municipal court (Bellevue: lease, lawyer)

[SunAndRain808]

I am not used to the concept of traffic photo cameras enforcing moving violations, because where I'm from, there are none of those "city revenue" mechanical generators.

Well, unfortunately, I got an alleged speeding citation in the mail yesterday.

It is issued by Tacoma Police Department, and shows a photo of my vehicle, but also several other vehicles in the photo. How do I know that the camera was clocking an adjacent vehicle going at a speed faster than me?

There is also a police officer's signature near the bottom of the citation, but no printed name of the police officer. I guess there are cops who sit down and review these traffic cams.

From the location of this alleged infraction when looking at the photo, there were NO signs informing drivers of traffic camera monitoring speed in that area. I will drive back to that area of Tacoma to see if there were any signs indicating traffic camera enforcement of speed.

I only have seen red-light traffic camera enforcement signs at certain intersections in Puyallup, Federal Way, parts of Tacoma and Bellevue.

Anybody here had success fighting these traffic camera citations?

[pikabike]

Were you speeding? If so, chalk it up as a lesson. The other drivers in the photo might well have received tickets also.

There isn't necessarily any requirement to post warnings about traffic cameras in the area.

If you can read a warning sign, you can take occasional looks at your speedometer to check how fast you're going.

[RotseCherut]

Here is a rule of thumb, never speed pass any camera. Treat a camera the same as you would a patrol car sitting on the side of the road. Thankfully, cameras are stationary, unlike police cars and modern GPS/map programs like Waze should be able to pick these up and you will be able to know their locations. I always make it my business to look for cameras these days, as I know the camera speed traps can be very tricky.

[DanG05200]

I don't know how it is in Washington State, but here in Maryland it's about impossible to win or get the fine reduced. There are no points and no driver is charged. The registered owner is responsible for the fine. I would recommend to just pay the fine unless you have a lawyer friend who owes you a favor.

P.S.
Don't roll through a red light camera in So Cal. $350 fine.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

Here is a rule of thumb, never speed pass any camera. Treat a camera the same as you would a patrol car sitting on the side of the road. Thankfully, cameras are stationary, unlike police cars and modern GPS/map programs like Waze should be able to pick these up and you will be able to know their locations. I always make it my business to look for cameras these days, as I know the camera speed traps can be very tricky.

Waze will indeed warn you, and costs only bandwidth (which does mean it costs "something" vs. "free" per se).

My Escort radar detector will, too, though they charge money for updates to the database listing speed tracks, traffic cams, and etc. Some of that goes stale over time. I'm usually not into paying subscriptions for such stuff, though can under

I've never gotten one of these tickets, though I'm no angel either. I do listen to 'Betty', my radar detector 'voice,' who indicates: "caution: red light camera ahead!" May have saved my bacon once or twice.

[Ruth4Truth]

There was a thread about this on the Bay Area forum. A couple of people said those aren't enforceable, and they blow them off. I don't know how that's possible, since the photo includes your license plate, I assume. You could always say someone else was driving, but who would you pin it on? Where I live, there was never any officer's signature. The city leased a couple of speed camera SUV's for a couple of years, as a pilot program. People hated those things, but at least you could spot them from a distance and slow down. The city finally got rid of them, mercifully.

All you can do AFAIK is pay the ticket and avoid speeding at any more cameras. Try to note where they're located around town, so you can keep that in mind.

[DanG05200]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

There was a thread about this on the Bay Area forum. A couple of people said those aren't enforceable, and they blow them off. I don't know how that's possible, since the photo includes your license plate, I assume. You could always say someone else was driving, but who would you pin it on? Where I live, there was never any officer's signature. The city leased a couple of speed camera SUV's for a couple of years, as a pilot program. People hated those things, but at least you could spot them from a distance and slow down. The city finally got rid of them, mercifully.

All you can do AFAIK is pay the ticket and avoid speeding at any more cameras. Try to note where they're located around town, so you can keep that in mind.

The vehicle is ticketed when whoever is driving it speeds through a camera or fails to stop at a red light camera. It doesn't matter who is driving the vehicle. The owner of said vehicle is responsible for paying the fine. No one else. The owner cannot plead innocence by saying they weren't driving. It simply doesn't matter.

[mhays25]

Man up, pay the fine, and drive better next time.

[CityWok]

Originally Posted by DanG05200

The owner of said vehicle is responsible for paying the fine. No one else. The owner cannot plead innocence by saying they weren't driving. It simply doesn't matter.

Not true. In Washington state, if the registered owner wasn't driving, the ticket *can* be overcome. See part (2) here:

RCW 46.63.075: Safety camera infractions

[DanG05200]

Originally Posted by CityWok

Not true. In Washington state, if the registered owner wasn't driving, the ticket *can* be overcome. See part (2) here:

RCW 46.63.075: Safety camera infractions

Crazy! That wouldn't fly in Maryland.