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Red light camera questions

Ecomike

Ecomike

NAXJA# 2091
NAXJA Member
Location
MilkyWay Galaxy
Who has any experience at all with Red light Camera tickets?
 
In this case, not true. But that is not the info I am looking for. Thanks anyway.
 
What information are you looking for exactly? I know the process, and I have been present in court many times when they were being fought.
 
If you haven't done so, go to the website of whatever city the ticket is from (or there may be a website listed on the ticket). Most of these cameras take a video as well as a still shot. My still shot on my ticket looked for sure like I had not run it...first pic I was stopped at the crosswalk line, next pic I was around the corner. I went to the website and sure enough, video shows me slow down to about 10mph and round the corner on red. No fighting it in my case.

If yours has a video and shows you come to a complete stop you have a chance. Remember, to the court a complete stop occurs when the front end bobs up after braking.
 
Thanks. I spoke to a legal secretary of the guy who is behind the Houston proposition on the ballets next week to kill the red light cameras. She said the lawyers are not fighting them, but if I had an issue to go the administrative hearing route.

The ticket was in Humble, 50 miles away, so I called. I called them and they are digging up more seconds of missing video for me to see if we have a real complaint, or not. They were real nice about it, and gave us an extension while they recheck the video themselves regarding the issue I brought up.
 
I for one hate the red light cameras... I have never been caught by one but I know for a fact that they cause more accidents than prevent. People are so worried about getting a ticket that they slam on their brakes at the first sign of a yellow light and that causes them to get rear-ended. Accidents have gone up since those cameras have gone into service . That is me speaking from an EMS point of veiw. I have responded to many accidents where the person said "I didn't want to get a ticket from that (insert colorful word here) red light camera."
 
The new Mayor of Houston, in an interview on PBS last week admitted that it has increased rear end accidents at those intersections, but she said it reduced side impact accidents with more serious injuries by more than it increased the rear ending accidents....she used that as her justification to use them to free up cops for serious crime work.

I have not really made up my mind which side I am on yet. I like that the tickets are not criminal, no effect (yet) on the driving record or license, but I don't like the money grab, and I don't trust them to leave it civil / low cost, non driving record type ticket, so I am inclined to try and get rid of them.
 
Yes, I agree that they have dropped the number of side impact MVAs. Side impacts accidents are the kind of MVAs that cause the most injury to the human body. What kind of MVAs are the second and third in major causes of injury to the human body? Head-on and rear-end is the answer. Quarter impacts are the least damaging to the body (getting hit in the front or rear quarters buy a side impact). But Eco you should know that. lol

So they justify lowering the number one cause and doubling, or more, the number 2 and 3 causes do not seem right to me. Also anyone that has been rear-ended knows that you can be "thrown" into the intersection. Now your in risk of a side impact.

Last year The City of Houston donated all excess funds created by the red light cameras was given to local E.R.s. One of the head trauma doctors at The Tub (Ben Taub) said "They better be giving the money to local E.R.s due to the fact they cause more accidents than prevent."
 
I have no idea what the numbers of accidents are for each type at red light camera intersections. They carefully avoided posting any real data to back up either sides position in the TV interview I saw, and did not see any data on the lawyers sites I looked at, so I defer to you for now on the numbers and ratios.
 
I was speaking of the types of collisions and their effect on the human body. EMT-B studies, or has that been too long for you?
 
xxmidianxx said:
I was speaking of the types of collisions and their effect on the human body. EMT-B studies, or has that been too long for you?
Click to expand...


I got all that, understood it. Are you thinking I was an EMT once, or something? I don't get the "or has that been too long for you?" comment?

All I am saying is you post was a lot more informative than their TV statements, and that I have not seen any hard data base data anywhere listing those types of injuries and types of impacts, number of each, at each red light camera intersection. To much hand waving, and none of them showing any hard data yet to back they positions up.Typical politics, and political tactics, do a lot of hand waving and pointing! LOL
 
Yeah, I must be wrong but I thought you worked for HFD.
 
xxmidianxx said:
Yeah, I must be wrong but I thought you worked for HFD.
Click to expand...


I was an LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) chairman back in 1990. My brother (who passed away in August) was an MD. And I do a little OSHA consulting tied in with chemical waste management, so I may chat periodically on borderline areas I know a little about. That may be where you got the Idea. I started out in 1990 on the Pasadena LEPC communications committee that looked into the 1990 Pasadena Philips polyethylene plant explosion that leveled everything on the property.

But I never had the stomach for medical practice or EMT work. Funny though, a guy I went to grade school with was recently the head of the Houston Fire Department for a good part of this year during the transition. Rick Flanagan. Had some old timers reunions, monthly lunch etc the last 2 years and got to see him after 40+ years! That was cool!!!!!

I think I mentioned Flanagan here when he got appointed. So your memory is not entirely faulty! LOL!:cheers:
 
The red light cameras over here where I'm from don't even work. :p I get flashed at least once a week lol but not once have I had a ticket.
 
Time to change the lyrics to the old tune. Now it should be "I fought the law, and the law let me win!!!" :woohoo:

All I did was make a phone call, point out a few problems with their video...... long story short, after just a phone call, a nice gentlemanly request that they reveiw their data based on the issues I pointed out, and a few days for them to go recheck all their data, photos and video, and they threw out the ticket!!!!

All it took was a phone call and some intelligent forensics evidence questions!

Who says you can't fight city hall.

Oh, and the attorney I called first, said to just pay the ticket, and not to bother fighting it.

I still prefer my own advise! LOL.
 
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