Surveillance Cameras Enforce Traffic Laws Growing numbers of local police departments have been using surveillance cameras, also known as "red-light cameras," to enforce traffic laws. These cameras are mounted at various locations to photograph traffic violations as they occur. The offender then receives a traffic ticket in the mail along with a photograph of the violation within two months.
Surveillance cameras are used to capture: Who Gets the Traffic Ticket? Depending on the state, the tickets are issued to either the car's driver or owner. In states that issue the ticket to the car's owner, despite who's actually driving, the camera needs only to photograph the car from behind to get a clear view of the rear license plate. In other states, the actual driver is responsible for paying the ticket, so there are multiple cameras to photograph the car, license plate and the driver's face. The ticket is still sent to the registered owner of the car, who can contact the authorities for more information. What Type of Information is Captured by These Cameras? When a licensed vehicle becomes fully transparent and readable to the mechanical eye, the traffic surveillance camera photographs: License plate number Make, color and model of the vehicle Identity of the driver and if present, any passengers within sight Nearby bicyclists or motorists
The computer on the surveillance camera superimposes some extra information on the photographs, including: Do I Need a Lawyer if I Want to Fight a Ticket Generated by a Surveillance Camera? Most drivers or car owners can pay the fine through the mail or can try to contest the ticket in court. Unlike traditional traffic tickets, contesting a traffic ticket from an automated system is very difficult to do in court, especially without the assistance of an attorney. An attorney may be needed to raise a case for badly positioned sensors to prove that some aspect of the integrity of the system has been compromised. |
