Drive Carefull - red light camera almost outed me.

[mtdew]

In the mail, I got a picture of my car not coming to a complete stop before turning Right on a Red. The violation pointed out the time and location.

The bad thing is I was sneaking out in the middle of the afternoon for a session. Normally at that time, I should be at work. Very lucky I got the mail that day.

So just a friendly reminder, drive carefully, come to a complete stop before turning right on red, don't take tollroads with a tolltag .. unless you can explain why you where in that location at that time .

-be safe.

[Look-at-Stupid]

Hey,feel lucky, I am also assuming you got a $75 ticket as I did for running a light on Belt Line and some bs road south of I-30 coming back from Lone Star Park....Big Brother is indeed watching these days

[Guest112916]

Happened to me too. Got one in the mail in Feb for a light I ran while talking to a provider on the phone trying to find her place back in Jan. She decided to have me call when I was far away to talk me there instead of giving me an intersection. Didn't realize i went thru the light until I saw the flash in my rearview mirror.

Now I have bluetooth in my car and can pay attention to what I'm doing.

[baldbrotha]

Tell me about it! I got one too! Must be a conspiracy! lol!

[mtdew]

Yeah the ticket was for $75 .. I can't complain, looking at the video online, I didn't come to a complete stop (almost , plus I was over the white line as well.

The other pain is; I have to pay it out of the my stashed cash in the hobby fund, go get a cashiers check, etc .. to keep everything off the books. Time and Money wasted that could have been used for the hobby.. still a cheap lessen .. so live and learn .

[exoticbabygirl]

yeaa they got me otoo but i never got the ticket

[jrewing]

wait till you nenew your driver license, the ticket will show up then, JR

[Blubba]

I don't see what the problem is. If your SO is going to get all pissy because you were out driving instead of being at work, then you have bigger problems in your relationship. Because that is all that picture proves, is that you were out driving during the day.

[ShysterJon]

Originally Posted by jrewing03

wait till you nenew your driver license, the ticket will show up then, JR

No, that's incorrect. The Texas red light camera law specifically provides that failing to pay the "civil penalty" (it's not a fine) when caught running a red light on camera may NOT be reported on a person's permanent driving record:

Texas Transportation Code Sec. 707.019. FAILURE TO PAY CIVIL PENALTY.
(a) If the owner of the motor vehicle fails to timely pay the amount of the civil penalty imposed against the owner:
* * *
(2) the imposition of the civil penalty may not be recorded on the owner's driving record.

See Tex. Transp. Code § 707.019.

In fact, there are few ramifications for failing to pay a red light camera ticket:

North Texas cities that issue red-light camera tickets promise serious ramifications if fines are left unpaid.

But state law prevents those cities from doing much more than offering those idle threats.

The violations don’t go on any driving records. The penalties can’t be reported to a credit bureau. And even when cities take the extra step of flagging offenders’ vehicle registrations, county tax offices aren’t always willing to enforce the scofflaw holds.

Many drivers are simply filing their red-light camera tickets right into the trash — and getting away with it.

A Dallas Morning News survey of a dozen North Texas cities found that nearly 30 percent of the more than 1.3 million red-light camera violations issued from 2008 through 2010 went unpaid. At $75 a ticket — plus a $25 late fee — that’s nearly $30 million in fines going unclaimed.

"As long they don’t mind being badgered by a bill collector and that kind of stuff, there’s not a lot we can do," said Grand Prairie police spokesman Eric Hansen, echoing the opinion of many local law enforcement agencies.

Red-light camera tickets are civil violations by law and don’t show up on driving records. Unlike with other traffic citations — such as an officer pulling over a driver for running a red light — those who ignore the red-light camera penalties don’t have to fear an arrest warrant.

A city technically could sue a violator for the fines, but given the cost associated with that, most simply use a collection agency. Even then, agencies can do little more than send a series of mean letters because state law specifically prohibits red-light camera fines from being reported to a credit bureau.

As for those who aren’t so civically inclined, state law allows cities one more opportunity to reel in any noncompliers: scofflaw holds.

Some North Texas cities, such as Arlington, Dallas and Grand Prairie, are looking into the program, which involves paying a small fee to the state Department of Motor Vehicles to flag the vehicle registrations of those who don’t pay red-light camera tickets.

Garland started its red-light scofflaw program late last year, making it too soon to evaluate any effectiveness. City analyst Elisa Morales said, however, that there has already been an impact.

"We’ve had people come in and pay old tickets,” she said. “I doubt that’s because they just got some extra money. It’s because of the registration."

But Fort Worth has actually seen its compliance rate decrease since it started using vehicle registration holds in 2009. Eighty-two percent of red-light camera fines were paid in 2008, compared with 77 percent in 2010.

That slide highlights a major problem with the registration holds: county tax offices also must be on board. When a city sends a scofflaw notification to the DMV, that prevents drivers from renewing registration online.

But if a person tries to register at the county tax office — or at a satellite location at an area grocery store — it’s up to the county to enforce the hold. The Dallas and Denton county tax offices say they will. Collin County’s office said it most likely will, but that it may not if lines are too long.

Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Ron Wright said flat out that his office will not enforce the holds unless the county is also compensated for the extra work. His office will inform drivers of the outstanding fine and nothing more.

"It’s not our responsibility," Wright said. "My people would have to deal with customers twice. My folks would have to incur the anger of that taxpayer."

A Fort Worth spokesman said the city is aware of the issue and is working to resolve it.

See Tom Benning, "In Dallas area, nearly a third of red-light camera tickets are going unpaid," Dallas Morning News, October 14, 2011.

[Sami]

I had a gentleman come visit one night and a few weeks later he got a toll bill. Luck fully he got it before the wifey

[Missy Mariposa]

Originally Posted by Blubba

I don't see what the problem is. If your SO is going to get all pissy because you were out driving instead of being at work, then you have bigger problems in your relationship. Because that is all that picture proves, is that you were out driving during the day.

This is what I was thinking. I mean "I went to get lunch" is a completely valid thing. Or "I wanted to buy a coffee" or really anything could work there. But if she's going to fly off the handle because you were out driving man. I want to give you a back rub

[Sleepy363]

Originally Posted by ShysterJon

No, that's incorrect. The Texas red light camera law specifically provides that failing to pay the "civil penalty" (it's not a fine) when caught running a red light on camera may NOT be reported on a person's permanent driving record:



See Tex. Transp. Code § 707.019.

In fact, there are few ramifications for failing to pay a red light camera ticket:


See Tom Benning, "In Dallas area, nearly a third of red-light camera tickets are going unpaid," Dallas Morning News, October 14, 2011.

Interesting.. so don't ever pay them. works for me!

[AdventureAdams]

Yes you guys gotta keep your eyes open because your wife can use these things as proof of adultery just like they can use toll road data if you use the EZ pass subscription service.

[Guest112916]

I don't worry about getting in trouble with the SO because I only work when it's needed and I am out on the road a lot when I get bored talking in chat looking for the next provider to see. I thought it was odd that the 2 pics on the ticket were only of my reas license plate and the back of my car going thru the intersection. I just wasn't paying attention and went straight thru the light and I am damn lucky I didn't get T-boned or T-bone someone else.

Looking at the pics made me think of the episode of Titus when his dad (Stacey Keech) was hospitalized of a heart attack. Turned out wasn't a heart attack when the police showed up at the hospital with the Red Light Pics in Slide Show form showing a female head bobbing up and down. 1st pic was him, 2nd showed top of a head, 3rd pic was him with eyes closed....LOL

Say No To Raod Head!!!

[Look-at-Stupid]

and like a dumbass I paid the $75, dohhhhh!!!