Photo enforcement devices in California survived another test like the one they passed in Bakersfield not long ago.

The San Mateo City Council unanimously agreed that it liked the $490.00 tickets enough to keep the Redflex cameras rolling at select intersections in the town. The vote surprised some observers, as just last year, San Mateo had to throw out nearly 1,000 red light camera tickets because the yellow lights were too short. Police Captain Dave Norris said that issue was fixed and the yellow lights are now .02 longer than the state-required minimum. Capt. Norris also said that 80 percent of violators ran the red light at least 10 seconds after the light changed, though he declined to say how many of these violations were rolling right turns.

City Councilmembers also voted to expand the program to another intersection.

Revenue v Safety

The anger over red light cameras is really about penalty assessments and the high price of a traffic ticket in California. Even if the Legislature cut the fine in half for rolling right turns, which isn’t likely, the citations would still be almost $300.

Besides, the trend in photo enforcement is more and not less. The buzz over speeding cameras has died down recently, but the issue is not dead. When it comes up again, the same debate will flare up: are photo enforcement tickets primarily a way to raise money or primarily a means to keep the roads safer? The jury is still out on this question.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive attorneys at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-349-9300 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-349-9755.