Not All Red Light Tickets Are Enforceable
When your car, truck, or van triggers the camera-enforced red light, a ticket could get mailed to you. However, it must be viewed by a law enforcement officer (LEO) with at least two years’ experience before it can be issued.
The first thing you should look for is the date and time on the ticket. Were you even driving your vehicle then? Maybe not. If you weren’t driving, you are not responsible for paying the ticket or telling the LEO who was driving.
The citation ticket will also provide information on your arraignment court date and how to pay the fine or contest the red light ticket. Do not pay the fine without consulting a traffic ticket attorney.
In many cases, a traffic attorney can dispute the red light ticket and get it dismissed or reduced. The fine is nearly $500, and even if you are eligible for Traffic Violators School (TVS), you will pay nearly $600 to keep the ticket confidential. But you must first plead guilty, pay the fine, pay the county for the privilege of attending TVS, and then plead guilty.
If you’re not eligible for TVS, that red light ticket could wind up costing you nearly $2,000. Are you shocked by that figure? Most drivers are. Let us explain. As stated earlier, the ticket will cost about $500, and the increased auto insurance will be nearly $400 per year for three years. $500 + ($400 X 3) = $1,700. That’s for the average CA driver. If you are below 25 years of age, it will be a lot more. Talk to a traffic attorney.
Yellow Light Intervals
Traffic law requires that yellow lights remain yellow for a prescribed time before turning red. Caltrans surveys and the speed limit establish that time. These times are published in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
If you believe the light was quicker than it should have been, go back to the light with a stopwatch. Record several intervals of yellow to red, and choose the average. When it turns red sooner than the prescribed time according to the CAMUTCD, notify a traffic attorney, who will advise you about disputing the red light ticket.
CA Traffic Law Provides Guidance on Camera-Enforced Red-Light Tickets
CA Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 40518, Release Upon Promise to Appear, states that “the alleged violator may view and discuss with the issuing agency, both by telephone and in person, the evidence used to substantiate the violation.” Typically, the vehicle owner or driver does not have time to view the photographic and video evidence. But they can hire a lawyer to do that for them.
If the traffic attorney determines that the pictured driver is not their client, they can petition the agency and/or the traffic court judge to dismiss the ticket. You should discuss with your lawyer whether or not to inform the LEO who was driving.
Call Bigger & Harman the Bakersfield Red Light Ticket Attorneys
Bigger & Harman, APC, (661) 349-9300, can assist with your defense of a red light ticket you received on 99, 58, or anywhere around Bakersfield. Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.
Give us a call today to discuss your situation. We handle most traffic tickets, such as speeding, stop signs, unsafe lane change, illegal U-turn, and others. We can also assist you with a DMV NOTS suspension hearing. Don’t go it alone. We have the knowledge gained in traffic courts and DMV hearings across California. Let us put that expertise to work for you.
Email: attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com.
References:
The 2020 CA Driver Handbook.pdf
The CA Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD)
CVC Section 40518, Release Upon Promise to Appear