Should I contest this speeding ticket?

[PBrady]

EDIT: Title should read "red light" ticket

I got a ticket from a red light camera just under a month ago (I have another 5 days to take action on it), and I need some help figuring out what to do.

I'm not sure if it is contestable, but some of the information on the ticket is incorrect. For example, the citation comes with two pictures of you going through the light. It also gives the time each of them was taken from the time the light turned red/yellow. Well on my citation, all of the times are the same, which is impossible considering it says I was moving at 33 mph, and clearly the car had advanced several feet.

The thing is, since the car I was in is registered to someone else in my family, I would have to get the citation issued to me in order to fight it. However, I'm worried that when they re-issue it, they will correct the mistakes. The other kicker is that even if it is contestable, they make you send in the fine first anyway...so the money is already in their hands. It is just a matter of them deciding whether or not they want to give it back.

I'm debating whether or not to just avoid the hassle, mail in the $50 along with a few choice words and be done with it, or actually try and drag this out and contest it. Thoughts?

[angelatc]

Why not have the car's registered owner protest it?

[PBrady]

Because he works out of town 5 days a week and had nothing to do with it. Plus, I know he wouldn't.

[Elwar]

Don't pay it.

The camera cannot show up to court as a witness to testify.

[brandon]

Didn't read, but the answer is yes.

You should always contest every traffic ticket

[tremendoustie]

Your personal, immediate benefit answer: pay the $50

Right thing to do for liberty answer: Contest it, drag it out as much as possible, and make it cost them far more than the $50 in time and hassle.

[angelatc]

Because he works out of town 5 days a week and had nothing to do with it. Plus, I know he wouldn't.

Well he should. He's the one with the best case against it especially if he wasn't even in town when the ticket was issued.

[Matt Collins]

Do the photos show your face?

[MelissaWV]

The timestamps may be the same if various cameras took the pictures, or if they don't show anything smaller than seconds.

I would contest it, purely based on the fact that those cameras are horrible. They are shortening yellow lights to up their revenue, now, and if people grow fearful of the camera tickets they'll slam on their brakes and cause more accidents.

[Chester Copperpot]

I believe in certain states (like Arizona) these type of tickets go against their state constitutions..

like the other poster said.. if you want convenience.. pay the $50.. otherwise fight it

[Reason]

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[Tenbatsu]

Take a picture of a $50 dollar bill and send it to them.

[FrostyLeaf]

Because he works out of town 5 days a week and had nothing to do with it. Plus, I know he wouldn't.

Yea...I was tagged by the cameras in cary twice. I would have faught it b/c I noticed several areas in the ticket that were flawed. Key thing was I was in my mothers car and it was in her name. So I would have had to do the same thing you are wanting to do, granted you fight it, which is changing the ticket into my name.

Thing is bro, the VIN # is attatched to the ticket regardless. So if you get the ticket transfered to your name, your friends insurance company might pick it up, and they often do in NC.

Advice? Buy a plastic cover for your plates so theres a constant reflection. You may or may not get caught on camera in the daytime depending on sunlight direction etc. but at night, the camera flash will glare your tags.

And the ticket itself. Just pay it and save yourself some grief. Also I believe you can actually go to the website and see yourself "commit" the violation. I dunno...Google it that was 3 years ago.

[lx43]

States/local govt will be using more traffic violations to gain revenue. Up to you on what to do.

[jsu718]

Take a picture of a $50 dollar bill and send it to them.

That is actually an awesome idea... assuming it wouldn't be screwing over the owner of the car that is actually liable for the payment.

[Rael]

That is actually an awesome idea... assuming it wouldn't be screwing over the owner of the car that is actually liable for the payment.

Someone did that once, and the police sent him back a picture of handcuffs.

He paid the fine.

[nbhadja]

RESEARCH the rules about it in your state. There are plenty of rules that can get you off the hook- one of which is that the Camera MUST get a clear shot of your face. If it is blurry then they cannot give you a ticket.

In the future everyone here should buy the clear license plate covers that reflect the flash from the traffic cam onto the cam itself and make the pic very blurry.

Everyone should get one. For 15 dollars a person we can end the government profit from traffic cams.

[DAFTEK]

I love http://www.trapster.com

Saved my ass so many times after my first $90 speed ticket!!!

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object3/125/41/n54235437416_7487.jpg

[catdd]

I stopped speeding because I got tired of paying tickets, now my biggest problem is tailgaters.

[PBrady]

Do the photos show your face?


RESEARCH the rules about it in your state. There are plenty of rules that can get you off the hook- one of which is that the Camera MUST get a clear shot of your face. If it is blurry then they cannot give you a ticket.

Nope. There was only one camera, and it was behind the car the whole time.

As of now, I'm transferring it to my name. In the meantime, I'll be looking up local laws. I did briefly before, but it seems like there is just so much BS out there when it comes to fighting tickets.