Ticket Cameras

In Virginia, the law states that not stopping for a school bus is OK IF it is a divided highway and the separating median is at least 6 inches higher than the roadway. Otherwise, if you don't stop, you are the proud owner of a new ticket.

On a German mountain road, I sped through a construction zone and got blinded by a flash as bright as 2 suns. I had no idea what happened until the rental car bill came and there was a photo ticket charge. $20 total LOL.
Here in CA, I think the various fees charged for a moving violation start at around $175, plus the specific violation fine. Unless you qualify for “equity-based relief” of course….

Welcome to Washington DC. That will be $119. There’s a lot of articles about how bad traffic cameras are in DC and how they’ve created this logistical nightmare if you want to protest it. Many people have received tickets that shouldn’t have but nothing was done to fix it.

I’ve gotten a camera ticket there, in Michigan and Ohio.

2 out of 3 were in rental cars and I think the rental car company sent me a bill as well.

Proceed with caution when traveling somewhere new, a lot of municipalities across the country have cameras especially in construction zones.

The $250 ticket is chump change. In New York, the minimum ticket is $400 and goes up from there. Also, you have to stop even if the school bus is going in the opposite direction on a divided highway. The school bus could even be stopped in a parking lot- if the stop sign is out you have to stop and not pass in the parking lot. Also when stopped you have to be at least 20 feet away from the bus.

In New York, if in doubt just STOP.

I believe in Philadelphia too whenever that stop sign is out you are not allowed to pass wherever you are...and if you happen to be an unlucky person who passes it and there's police around you can forget about all your rights...

Florida had the red light cameras defeated by a few slick lawyers, and most folks who bothered to fight the tickets issued by the companies that had the contracts to enforce those laws got the tickets tossed, but in the last few months a few counties have tried to resurrect the camera enforcement of traffic laws, my personal unprofessional legal opinion is that these laws subcontracting traffic law enforcement are unconstitutional and will eventually be struck down.

Got hit with one in a tiny village close to home about 8-10 years ago for rolling through the only stop sign in town while making a right turn at 1am with no other cars visible in any direction. I should've known better because I had heard people complaining about that camera for a while, luckily is was under $100 through mayor's court. Since then not only was the camera taken down after a lawsuit, but the residents voted to disband the village government. Most traffic cameras for speeding etc I don't like because it is just government trying to be sneaky and save money by having fewer cops on traffic patrol. However, in the case of school busses I support it 100%. They aren't hiding anything since it is a giant yellow bus with bright flashing lights and a big red stop sign. If you ignore that and recklessly endanger kids lives the least you deserve is a hefty fine. Hell, in my opinion that should be treated just as harshly as a DUI since it is just as dangerous.

As for the OP, in most if not all states you still have to stop if you are going in the opposite direction unless it is a divided roadway of some sort or more than 4 lanes. The idea is that in a lot of places kids have to cross the street when getting on/off the bus.

I’ve been racking these (speeding) up a lot lately in various places. Normally the fine is small, I think to convince you to just pay it. I am a fan of these especially in cities. It makes you rethink your driving. As someone who normally drives as fast as I feel comfortable and safe, now when I drive in NYC, where I’ve gotten most of these, I will drive within the speed limit. I feel like a turtle at sometimes, but it’s safer for all involved.

I've received a few that were in error. They cost like $50 bucks to have the ticket clinic fight for you. I've never received one in a scenario where I was guilty. Not that haven't ever ran a light or anything, I mean I do drive in Miami sometimes and its basically expected for 3-5 cars to run every light. And most of the time the drivers already stopped are too busy taking selfies or talking on their phones to go on green. Being the first one to stop at a light in many parts of Miami carries a far greater risk of being rear ended than running it does of being t-boned.

In principle I'm fine with the idea, but in practice I think the accuracy is far too low. Way too many false positives while somehow also seemingly missing many actual offenders. They end up just being cash cows for the municipalities, which I don't like.

Trial by machine, how unconstitutional and unamerican.

@whodey yeah I'm not trying to say I wasn't in the wrong. But just to defend myself a little bit. I live in a very urban area. There's a lot in the sight picture when I'm driving around. A lot of people running every which way. I'm not driving in the woods and a bus just came along. I'm looking at the stuff in front of me so I don't hit anybody, my eyes aren't trained to look over 4 lanes, at a little (it's not that big, it's a smaller version) but flashing stop sign all the way on the left side. Also by the footage I was going very slow I don't think I'm hitting a kid in front of me because that's where I'm looking. I'm also going like 15 in the video. But it's not excuse, should've seen it, no doubt but it's not super cut and dry thing sometimes. At least on the bright side, now I definitely will drive different.

I remember Arizona used to have highway speeding cameras. However, my understanding is you didn't have to pay them since it wasn't issued by law enforcement, but by a third party contractor.

There is a bill pending in CA to pilot speeding cameras, but I think it's BS. The dangerous drivers are the ones speeding in residential areas where kids are playing and not on the busy expressways.

You're lucky it was only a ticket, and. Or license suspension as is done in some states....although I believe LE needs to witness it to come to that punishment.

If the tickets save childrens' lives by bringing attention to the issue, I'm all for it.

My neighbor tried to blow past a stopped school bus, and got a visit from the friendly neighborhood LE, due to a call from bus driver.

I'll take a photo/video ticket over an LE stop, as those generally avoid points and sitting along the road waiting for paperwork. Of course, if you live in an area with speed cameras and red light cameras, it's only a matter of time until you get tickets.

I average about once every three years on the red light camera. Sometimes you'll think you can make it and you don't. That's $150 near me.

I have gotten two for rolling through right turn on red without a full stop. Seeing the video is annoying as hell but also funny once you accept the financial sting. Like, yeah, I only slowed down to 10-15 mph while rolling thru. Guilty as hell. No appealing that shit.

you have the constitional right to question your accuser, this is why police must show up in court - good luck asking that camera a few questions

that camera cannot even take a shit

Rawhide, what about other crimes where the evidence is based solely on what was caught on camera? Why can't the "accuser" be the person that reviews the violation on the camera? Do you not think any of these scenarios should be prosecuted?

A group of teenagers breaks into the local high school and cause thousands of dollars worth of damage and the only thing connecting them to the crime is surveillance footage of them in the act.

A drug addict breaks into a home when the owners are on vacation and steals jewelry, cash and guns from the home. No forensic evidence or any of the stolen property is found but he is seen on both the home owner's and neighbor's security cameras breaking in and leaving with the items.

A fast food cashier steals money while working the register but nobody sees them doing it until the manager sees it on the security tape the next day.

A pedophile comes in an unlocked window in the middle of the night and kidnaps a young child. The child or any forensic evidence is never recovered but he is seen shoving the kid into his car on the security camera of a business down the block.

Obviously running a red light, speeding, etc aren't as bad as any of those, but if we say a violation caught on camera isn't enough to prosecute that is a dangerous precedent to set.

I got one in the mail from Maryland a few years ago alleging I was speeding on a highway construction zone. I didn’t remember the highway or area from the photo they sent of my car on the road. I wasn’t stopped by the cops. I live in NJ.

I read up on the program and, basically, found out if you don’t pay, it won’t affect your NJ drivers license. If I get stopped by the cops in Maryland it will be on record and I guess they’ll arrest me a make me pay it. Fuck them. I’ll try to avoid Maryland.

Eh, break the law, get caught, pay the fine and no points on your license. I paid a $40 ticket for going 12 miles over in a 35 maybe 6 months ago. The speed cameras are a big money maker here in Maryland and they are usually set to not nab you unless you’re 10 over.

We had a real problem with people running red lights until the cameras were installed. It’s very much changed people’s driving habits and that’s a good thing. Running reds is super dangerous.

Sucks about your divided highway muddy but you can contest it if you weren’t breaking the law.

Muddy ape, cubs and apelings are the future. Stop for the frickin’ school bus. You’ll get no sympathy from this rick. ROAR!!

like 10 years ago I got snagged by a photo, stop sign in tujunga canyon scenic overlook. I didn't come to a complete stop and they nailed me for 125 bucks.

never did see where they had the camera hid but sure enough there was video of my toyota rolling through the stop. although you couldn't see me driving... it sure got the license plate number correct!

it's definitely annoying getting a ticket through the mail.

^Yes - I think they you ought to at least get stopped by a cop.
If what I was doing was dangerous, why didn’t you stop me?
Pricks. I’m sure everyone with a connection gets out of it.
They prey on people from out of state.

I got hit by one when I was driving cross country. Never paid it, never went back to the city. Have yet to face consequences.

First of all, I think the cameras are here to stay. They have existed in NY and DC for a long time. There are more lawyers in those two locations than anywhere else and I am sure a fair amount of them are getting tickets, and paying them. Jdo11, you are making a mistake. You may think that you are cool or tough by not paying, but someday at the wrong time the outstanding debt may come back to bite you in a big way. All that said, I hate the cameras.