The city of Capitola, California admits that it issued at least $9525 in bogus red light camera citations this month. The Santa Cruz Superior Court notified the police that their failure to review citations issued by red light camera vendor ATS allowed 25 duplicate citations, each worth $381, to be issued.

This was not the first time the city has allowed improper citations. In January, the city had allowed 134 citations worth $51,054 to be issued despite the lack of required information on the ticket. In December, an ambulance driver had to go to court to have a ticket reversed even though the photograph clearly showed his emergency lights were active.

Other cities in Santa Cruz County are now exploring the possibility of using photo enforcement. Superior Court Assistant Executive Officer Roy Blaine explained to the Sentinel that these cities are looking to expand their budgets with cameras.

Read Full Story

The [Arlington, Texas] Police Department got the green light Tuesday to install cameras at 10 of the city’s most dangerous intersections. The cameras will photograph red-light runners, and eventually, police hope, cut down on fatal accidents, Police Chief Theron Bowman told the City Council.

The cameras will be operational by February, police said.

Since 2003, red-light violations have led to six fatalities and 1,508 collisions in Arlington, police said.

Several other Texas cities have implemented red-light cameras, such as Garland, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett and Frisco.

Bedford, North Richland Hills, Dallas, University Park, McKinney and Farmers Branch are also considering the idea.

Each camera would lead to 20 citations per day, Bowman said, with net revenue expected to exceed $3.8 million.

Garland installed the cameras at four intersections in 2003. Since then, crashes related to red-light violations have declined by 50 percent. (Texas Transportation Institute study says otherwise)

Bowman also said the Federal Highway Administration reports a 25 percent average decrease in crashes after installation of photo traffic enforcement systems. (That’s just FALSE!)

Read Full Story

City leaders held a public hearing Tuesday night to discuss using cameras to catch people who run red lights.

Some drivers are worried the wrong people will be ticketed. Others said they hope the cameras cut down on dangerous driving.

If approved, Kansas City would be one of four cities in the state using the red-light cameras.

Read Full Story

Councilman Bob Hunter wants to bring red light cameras to some of Victorville’s busiest intersections.

The plan, according to Hunter, calls for a pilot program to be in place within six months.

“Red light cameras are a great tool for reducing accidents and stopping traffic light violations,” Hunter said Wednesday.

Fullerton Traffic Engineer Mark Miller said that since red light cameras were installed in the city three years ago safety has improved.

“It has reduced accidents and red light violations. It has also had a ripple effect on other intersections,” Miller said. “Some drivers are not sure if we have cameras in all our intersections.”

Again, be sure to visit HERE for the real scoop on Red Light Camera’s lack of effectiveness

Read Full Story

Knoxville’s first red light camera snapped dozens of red-light runners in its first few days. They’ll get off with a warning this time. But starting May 24, violators will face $50 fines.

That could mean big money for the City of Knoxville and Redflex, the camera company, based out of Austrailia (the money isn’t even staying in America!). That’s one reason critics say they’re not here for safety.

“Photo Cops” in Minneapolis captured images of t-bone wrecks and ticketed 26,000 violators in eight months. Then the American Civil Liberties Union sued. “You’re automatically guilty of a crime, and that’s just wrong,” MN ACLU spokesperson Chuck Samuelson said.

A Minnesota judge recently shut the cameras down.

“Here we had a tool that worked, it reduced accidents by 16 percent,” Lt. Greg Reinhardt of the Minneapolis Police explained.

These red light camera studies prove otherwise.

Read Full Story