Question about red light ticket issued by Safelight in Coppell (Plano: legal, safe)

[mSooner]

My sister (and 2 of her friends) were t-boned by a red light runner this past week. Luckily they are all fine, but one of the girls recently had a major surgery and was on blood thinners...it could have been bad. Don't speed up, just stop!

[hbdwihdh378y9]

Originally Posted by dallas_cowboy

I am more interested in finding similar personal experience of folks on the thread NOT an ideology of an individual.

It's not an ideology. Apologies don't matter.

[hbdwihdh378y9]

Originally Posted by adixyz

If the video clearly shows you jumped the red light, it will not stand any merit in front of the judge unless you can prove the camera/ devices are defective.

That's not true. You could also get off if you prove the yellow light wasn't long enough. Sometimes, in some places, the government agrees to shorten the yellow light to increase the number of violations and, thus, the amount of revenue.

[Fighter 1]

Originally Posted by hbdwihdh378y9

That's not true. You could also get off if you prove the yellow light wasn't long enough. Sometimes, in some places, the government agrees to shorten the yellow light to increase the number of violations and, thus, the amount of revenue.

Fact is that the RED LIGHT cameras do not make the roads any safer , they just make money for the police/cities, with out having to have a cop siting at the intersection and more importantly with out any investment in the equipment to take the pictures( private company owns all the equipment) and as has been said here , the private company's that operates the cameras are allowed to shorten the yellow light timing of the lights . Now if the cameras were put there to make the roads safer? wouldn't you think they would add a few seconds to the yellow or even add a few seconds between the timing of the RED/ GREEN light change ! Woops ! Then they( Camera company/ cities) would loose money ! and we can't have that.

This I know from personal experience , My truck was sitting at a RED light ( Camera Controlled! ) waiting for light to change so I could turn left, when another truck coming from my left ran the light, hit 2 vehicle that had started as soon as the light turned green and T- boned them and then hit my truck head on.

I personally don't move as soon as the light turns green, I make ensure that all the opposing traffic has stopped. I feel it is better to wait at the Red lights then to have to wait at a hospital.

[DWinTX]

Originally Posted by Fighter 1

Fact is that the RED LIGHT cameras do not make the roads any safer , they just make money for the police/cities, with out having to have a cop siting at the intersection and more importantly with out any investment in the equipment to take the pictures( private company owns all the equipment) and as has been said here , the private company's that operates the cameras are allowed to shorten the yellow light timing of the lights . Now if the cameras were put there to make the roads safer? wouldn't you think they would add a few seconds to the yellow or even add a few seconds between the timing of the RED/ GREEN light change ! Woops ! Then they( Camera company/ cities) would loose money ! and we can't have that.

This I know from personal experience , My truck was sitting at a RED light ( Camera Controlled! ) waiting for light to change so I could turn left, when another truck coming from my left ran the light, hit 2 vehicle that had started as soon as the light turned green and T- boned them and then hit my truck head on.

I personally don't move as soon as the light turns green, I make ensure that all the opposing traffic has stopped. I feel it is better to wait at the Red lights then to have to wait at a hospital.

Fighter1, you may be correct in everything you say, I don't know. But it seems to me the point of the original post is getting lost here. The OP clearly states that he or she ran a red light:

Originally Posted by dallas_cowboy

I know I did cross the intersection after red light was turned on and I am ready to accept my apology if I can get the ticket waived. Ticket letter states that I can contest the ticket and may get charge another $25 if I loose.

This person has admitted he or she broke the law and put others in danger, and is asking us to find a way to get out of paying the fine. We can debate all day long about whether red light cameras work, or municipalities manipulate yellow light durations, or whatever else has been stated here. But the bottom line of this thread is that we should be telling him or her to accept responsibility for their actions and to not run red lights anymore.

We should not support anyone who knowingly breaks the law and is looking for a way to get out of taking responsibility for it. Especially when it can cause great harm to other innocent people.

[pmjc101]

Originally Posted by dallas_cowboy

I recently got a red light ticket received in mail from Safelight. This ticket is for a red light violation in Coppell city.

This is my first ticket ever issued. I looked at their online video and it shows that I crossed intersection approximately 0.7 to 0.8 seconds after red light was turned on. Other side traffic started about another 1 second after I crossed intersection completely.

I know I did cross the intersection after red light was turned on and I am ready to accept my apology if I can get the ticket waived. Ticket letter states that I can contest the ticket and may get charge another $25 if I loose.

What are my chances to waive the ticket if I contest and accept my apology in person for the mistake I made?

Has anyone experienced similar issue in Coppell or with Safelight in any other town in Dallas? Please help because I must respond to their letter very soon.

They got me the other day at 6am because i did a "rolling" stop while making a right hand turn. It really pisses me off because I seriously doubt that a human officer would have given me a ticket had he seen me make the turn. I do this all the time and there was no on coming traffic at 6am.

I'm having the debate of time involved of having to take a day of work or paying the $75 penalty.

Its also a matter of principal that the government can use cameras and drones to watch you and send a fine in the mail when they need money. These cameras should be outlawed!!!!


Another thing.. I have a real problem with getting a redlight ticket in coppel but having to send a payment to the company named "Safelight Coppell" out of state in Cleveland Ohio!!!!

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by dallas_cowboy

I recently got a red light ticket received in mail from Safelight. This ticket is for a red light violation in Coppell city.

This is my first ticket ever issued. I looked at their online video and it shows that I crossed intersection approximately 0.7 to 0.8 seconds after red light was turned on. Other side traffic started about another 1 second after I crossed intersection completely.

I know I did cross the intersection after red light was turned on and I am ready to accept my apology if I can get the ticket waived. Ticket letter states that I can contest the ticket and may get charge another $25 if I loose.

What are my chances to waive the ticket if I contest and accept my apology in person for the mistake I made?

Has anyone experienced similar issue in Coppell or with Safelight in any other town in Dallas? Please help because I must respond to their letter very soon.

Zero. If you entered the intersection anytime after the light turned red you are guilty and you'll be out time and grief and an extra $25. I'd simply pay the fine. None of this goes on your insurance.


I hate what red-light cameras have become. Originally they were sold around the notion of stopping people in lines of cars would run lights for several seconds - this was big problem in Plano for years as an example. Instead of using this technology as a means to bust people who run lights late in a dangerous fashion and with impunity it's become a way to fine people who slightly misjudge time and distance missing the theoretical limit by tiny fractions of a second.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Zero. If you entered the intersection anytime after the light turned red you are guilty and you'll be out time and grief and an extra $25. I'd simply pay the fine. None of this goes on your insurance.


I hate what red-light cameras have become. Originally they were sold around the notion of stopping people in lines of cars would run lights for several seconds - this was big problem in Plano for years as an example. Instead of using this technology as a means to bust people who run lights late in a dangerous fashion and with impunity it's become a way to fine people who slightly misjudge time and distance missing the theoretical limit by tiny fractions of a second.

Yup; I think they're a nuisance and cities seem to use them to generate money more than anything else.

I've been caught dead to rights by one before, and I paid the ticket without complaining (at anyone besides myself) because it WAS my fault. I judged incorrectly and ran a red light. I knew as soon as I entered the intersection and saw the flash that I was busted. It sucked, but I don't have anyone to blame but myself.

On the other hand, they are incredibly sensitive and since they're machines, they lack the ability to exercise common sense. Most cops won't bother giving someone a ticket for a rolling stop unless they're bored.

[aggierk]

Most people do not even know you are supposed to stop completely when light is red instead of rolling right.

I made a rolling right because the cross streets had protected left on and got ticket.
I paid it off after looking at the video.
It felt safe to me because no one was there on the street to the right (they could be taking U turn).

[keribeth818]

Originally Posted by aggierk

Most people do not even know you are supposed to stop completely when light is red instead of rolling right.

What?? In what driver's manual did you ever read that rolling stops are acceptable? If it was safe to turn right without stopping, it would be designed as a yield movement, not a red light. Make sure you stop before the line, then pull forward and go when there's a gap. It takes 2 extra seconds.

If the cross streets have a protected left, they also have a protected U-turn and shouldn't have to worry that you aren't watching for them and roll through the red light because you assume there's no conflict. If the U-turn is prohibited, you would have a green arrow.