Red Light Cameras are automated traffic safety devices that record video and/or take pictures when a vehicle has entered an intersection on a red light. The photos and video are then reviewed by a police officer and a citation is sent in the mail to the driver.
The penalty is $370 and a point on one's driving record. The monetary fine has been raised numerous times by the state since Red-Light Cameras became legal in California.
In order to be cited, one must cross the intersection's limit line while the signal is red. California law requires a clear picture of the driver and license plate in order to be fined. This photo must also match the picture on the driver's license of the vehicle's registered owner. Due to these facts, not every violation results in a citation. California's legislation requires a clear photo of the driver in order to issue a fine and add a point to your driving record as a moving violation. Red-light running is a very serious traffic violation because T-bone crashes are among the most dangerous types of crashes, occurring on the side of a vehicle with little protection for passengers during a crash.
There were over 50 warnings sent out in just the first two weeks of the grace period, all caught by only two (of the four that will be active) cameras. The city has entered a contract with Nestor Traffic Systems in which the city will pay no more than a flat fee or what the cameras actually collect, whichever is less.
The cameras on Russell and First went live around Dec. 13, and 30 days after will be a grace period, in which violators will only receive a photo in the mail and will not be fined for the violation. The cameras on Chiles and Pole Line went live in mid-January 2006.
Today's traffic cameras can detect vehicle speeds, but their use by Davis Public Works remains a mystery. Loop detectors buried in the ground can also be used to measure the speed of red-light runners. The traffic cameras installed in Davis are 100% directional, which means if you are going any other direction then the camera does not track you.
Bicyclists can not be cited using Red Light Cameras because there is no legislation permitting cities to do so as well as the fact that cameras can not easily see the registration stickers on a bike.
Apparently, violation video footage will be available on the Internet for review. The URL for the footage is not yet known.
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