4 Possible Strategies for Beating a Red Light Camera Ticket
It's one of the more frustrating ways of getting a traffic ticket. One day, you open the mail and discover a citation for running a stoplight. You were caught on camera doing so. Now what? Do you really have to pay this ticket? Depending on the state where you live, a traffic lawyer has various ways of defending clients against these citations.
Possible Defenses
Avoiding a Rear-End Collision
A 2014 study found that red light cameras appear to increase the frequency of rear-end collisions. In Chicago, the injury rate from these types of accidents went up 22 percent at intersections with cameras. Drivers may brake suddenly for a yellow light instead of moving smoothly through the intersection as they normally would.
If you ran a red light when you were trying to avoid getting hit by a vehicle following closely behind, your attorney may use this in your defense if the photos show evidence to support it. Weather conditions might be a factor if the roads were slippery and a quick stop would have been difficult or dangerous.
Your lawyer can obtain weather information for that traffic-light location for the specific date and time. He or she also may be able to obtain the video from which the photos were clipped. This provides a better indication of how drivers behind you were behaving than a few still shots do.
Letting Someone Else Drive
If the photographs don't clearly identify you, it's possible someone else was driving your car. Your lawyer doesn't have to claim that someone else was driving if this isn't true, but can point out that there's no solid evidence verifying who was driving.
Getting Ticketed in Another State
If the violation occurred in another state, your lawyer may be able to use that in your defense. This may be a particularly useful strategy if your home state does not have the cameras or has prohibited them outright. As of June 2015, a total of 10 states have banned them.
Contesting Whether the Light Was Operating Properly
The lawyer may question whether the traffic light was in good working order when the incident occurred. The judge may be inclined to dismiss the case rather than go through the hassle of ordering an investigation to verify this.
Concluding Thoughts
Consult a traffic lawyer, such as one from Williams Heinl Moody & Buschman, P.C., for further information. You'll learn the fee for this service so you can evaluate whether it's worth fighting the ticket or just paying it. Keep in mind that the violation adds penalty points to your driver's license, which is an important consideration. Points can lead to an increase in insurance rates and a risk that another violation could cause a license suspension.