$500 moving violation

[wraub]

So if you break a traffic law and there is video evidence from a traffic camera to prove it, but you were in a vehicle registered to someone else, the feeling among some here is you don't have to pay?

-Mike

Not a feeling in Az. State law.

 

[MJ5150]

Not a feeling in Az. State law.

So would you not pay the penalty if it happened to you?

-Mike

 

[fingerguy]

I made a bad decision recently. I was getting off the freeway and making a right turn off the ramp. There is a traffic light at the end of the ramp and the light was yellow. I rolled through the light and was greeted with a bright flash. I thought "Uh-Oh that's a ticket."
Sure enough several weeks later I got the ugly letter with the ticket. It's going to set me back five hundred smackers plus the charge for traffic school. No matter what the total it will exceed the money I have been saving for new musical equipment. No big deal I have two basses and three amps already. I'm good. Probably a good thing I have been saving money.
They sent me a link to check the photos and there is no question that the light was red when I entered the intersection. I looked on line at some cheesy attorneys who say they can get you off the hook but I felt kind of dirty contemplating that.
I do think five hundred bucks is way over the top but there is nothing I can do about that. I will pay my fine, sit through traffic school and and move on.
You can bet I will be stopping at yellow lights from now on so I guess you could say the method is effective.

My experience at least where I live, show up at court, meet with the prosecutor ahead of time, they usually offer you deal which is significantly lower than the ticket price, and pay for it. Lawyer will cost you more money.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Next time, try this:

View attachment 959797

Why am I thinking, "Hey, little girl, want a cookie?"

 

[wraub]

So would you not pay the penalty if it happened to you?

-Mike

When once ticketed in my own vehicle, I did traffic school and paid the fine ($360).

 

[MJ5150]

When once ticketed in my own vehicle, I did traffic school and paid the fine ($360).

If you break a traffic law and there is video evidence from a traffic camera to prove it, but you were driving/operating a vehicle registered to someone else, would you pay the penalty?

-Mike

 

[Gaolee]

Just trying to offer anything to help you, brother (except for money, mind you. No free lunches here). Those intersections with cameras were fairly notorious for cutting 1-2 seconds off of the yellow light when they first came out. That translates to roughly 60ft/second less distance to stop at 40mph. Since the 3rd parties that own the cameras directly benefit from tickets, and collect the majority of the fine money collected, there was an incentive to have more violations.
In any event, good luck!

This is why to fight them. There are standards for traffic light timing, and fiddling the timing to generate more revenue is pretty common, as far as I know. I have read about a number of locations that the timing got fiddled, and then the jurisdiction got busted for it. The last thing you need is a stop light that changes and makes you do a panic stop just to avoid running a red light. That's a good way to get hit, not a way to enhance safety, in my opinion.

 

[wraub]

If you break a traffic law and there is video evidence from a traffic camera to prove it, but you were driving/operating a vehicle registered to someone else, would you pay the penalty?

-Mike

Yes, would and did. Hence the traffic school and fine.

 

[Mike N]

So if you break a traffic law and there is video evidence from a traffic camera to prove it, but you were in a vehicle registered to someone else, the feeling among some here is you don't have to pay?

-Mike

I would seem that way, Mike.

I'm personally not buying it as it seems far to easy to say "It wasn't me."

The state/town/county is going to get their money one way or another.

 

[Mike N]

Yes, would and did. Hence the traffic school and fine.

I'll imagine the traffic school is run by the state, so they are getting their money without people realizing it.

 

[MJ5150]

Yes, would and did. Hence the traffic school and fine.

Ah, my failure to comprehend. I was under the impression you would decline to pay the penalty in that situation since and have the registered driver respond to the ticket with 'that wasn't me'. My apologies.
A good man, you are.

-Mike

 

[ultra60]

If you can take the time off work, go to court. I was snagged by moving radar doing 17 over. I went to court figuring the worst that would happen is I'd pay the original fine. I was prepared to plead not-guilty, with a stack of documents about radar calibration, etc, and their burden of proof.

There were 130 cases to be heard on my day in court. The Judge made it fairly obvious that those who plead not guilty would be in for a very long day. I think he was offering a hint that those pleading guilty might be shown some leniency.

When I was called up the judge says "how do you plead?" I put my tail between my legs and said "Guilty". My charge then became some non-moving violation with a lesser fine. Was totally worth it to me. They still got some $$$, and I walked out with no points, or insurance rate increase.

 

[slobake]

If you can take the time off work, go to court. I was snagged by moving radar doing 17 over. I went to court figuring the worst that would happen is I'd pay the original fine. I was prepared to plead not-guilty, with a stack of documents about radar calibration, etc, and their burden of proof.

There were 130 cases to be heard on my day in court. The Judge made it fairly obvious that those who plead not guilty would be in for a very long day. I think he was offering a hint that those pleading guilty might be shown some leniency.

When I was called up the judge says "how do you plead?" I put my tail between my legs and said "Guilty". My charge then became some non-moving violation with a lesser fine. Was totally worth it to me. They still got some $$$, and I walked out with no points, or insurance rate increase.

Yup, I am going to do this.

 

[ultra60]

If you have an otherwise clean record, that may help. I was spotless. Also helped that I was respectful to the officer during the stop. It was the officer that pointed out, to the judge, my clean record, and cooperation. You are up against a machine. You might want to find out how they calibrate those, and if this one was current.

 

[Downunderwonder]

If you have an otherwise clean record, that may help. I was spotless. Also helped that I was respectful to the officer during the stop. It was the officer that pointed out, to the judge, my clean record, and cooperation. You are up against a machine. You might want to find out how they calibrate those, and if this one was current.

The ''calibration'' is the steel plate in the roadway sensing your vehicle in the intersection after the red light has gone on.

 

[ultra60]

The ''calibration'' is the steel plate in the roadway sensing your vehicle in the intersection after the red light has gone on.

Doubtful. My guess is there is a complete tuning manual between the stop light, pressure plate, and camera. There should be a calibration certificate on file somewhere. Radar Guns are to be calibrated by tuning fork, and I think even the tuning forks have to be certified. I would bet something similar does exists here.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Slo is pleading guilty so we we may never know.

 

[wraub]

I'll imagine the traffic school is run by the state, so they are getting their money without people realizing it.

This is the case here.

 

[bluesblaster]

The state almost always wins, I've only beat a ticket once in my whole life. The best you can hope for is the judge isn't in a crabby mood that day

 

[pcake]

In California you can go to traffic school every 18 months and that keeps the point off of your license and your insurance doesn't go up. You have to pay for traffic school though. It is usually about 4 hours and I think you can do it on line now.

you can do it online, but you can also find traffic school for chocolate lovers, where they give out chocolate during the class. i went to a stand up comedy traffic school years ago, and ended up with shelly bonus (richard pryor's ex-wife) doing a long routine about driving that was quite funny before we got to the serious stuff.