Red Light Camera New Car

[DSKDriverCali]

What is the name of your state? CA

Tonight I was driving on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles. The light in front of me had just went from green to yellow so I continued to go. About half to 3 quarters of the way through the intersection I saw a few flashing lights on all sides of me. The light wasn't red when I went through it so I don't understand why these lights went off. I'm not sure if they were going off for someone else. My question is though, my car is new so I don't have any plates on it yet, just the temp registration on the lower side of the windshield on the passenger side. I know if you don't have plates these cameras can't get you, but will the photos if they were taked of my car, show the tiny piece of paper in my wind shield that shows my registration? And how do these cameras work. I know I was past the line before the light turned red, so why would they go off? Help please!

 

[racer72]

Those lights going off meant you were in the intersection when the light turned red. That is a violation. Whether they get you or not is dependant on getting proper vehicle ID, in your case that could be tough. All you can really do is keep an eye on your mailbox, that is where the citation will be sent to you.

 

[Who's Liable?]

What is the name of your state? CA

Tonight I was driving on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles. The light in front of me had just went from green to yellow so I continued to go. About half to 3 quarters of the way through the intersection I saw a few flashing lights on all sides of me. The light wasn't red when I went through it so I don't understand why these lights went off. I'm not sure if they were going off for someone else. My question is though, my car is new so I don't have any plates on it yet, just the temp registration on the lower side of the windshield on the passenger side. I know if you don't have plates these cameras can't get you, but will the photos if they were taked of my car, show the tiny piece of paper in my wind shield that shows my registration? And how do these cameras work. I know I was past the line before the light turned red, so why would they go off? Help please!

Yellow means "slow down and be prepared to stop" not "continue to go" Lucky for you, you have a VERY good chance that you will NOT get a ticket due to the fact you only have the temp registration number, and it will be hard to read on a picture...

 

[DSKDriverCali]

I thought yellow meant stop if safe to do so. I would have had to slam on my breaks to stop at that light. Isn't the law that when your tires are past the stop line before the light turns read that you haven't ran the light? And aren't those machines supposed to provide a grace period?

 

[CdwJava]

I thought yellow meant stop if safe to do so. I would have had to slam on my breaks to stop at that light. Isn't the law that when your tires are past the stop line before the light turns read that you haven't ran the light? And aren't those machines supposed to provide a grace period?

CVC 21452. (a) A driver facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow
signal is, by that signal, warned that the related green movement is
ending or that a red indication will be shown immediately
thereafter.

The inference is that it's a good time to stop.

And no, it is an urban myth that simply breaking the plane over the limit line means it is safe to go. You are not supposed to enter the intersection until the turning movement can be safely completed or you can clear the intersection prior to the light turning green.

As for the machines, I don't know how much of a grace period you think they have. But, since you had no plates on your car, I wouldn't worry about it just now. Maybe later if it happens again, but not likely this time.

- Carl

 

[DSKDriverCali]

I hope you're right.

 

[NotACopOrLawyer]

I have seen thousands of these tickets, and never a one issued to a car with paper plates. I suppose if it was a hit and run or some other very serious charge, they could take the time to go to the dealer, get the records of all cars of that model and color that he had sold recently, and look at the license photos of all the registered owners until they find a match.

I strongly do not agree with the previous post-er's statement "You are not supposed to enter the intersection until the turning movement can be safely completed or you can clear the intersection prior to the light [for the cross traffic?] turning green." But I am not going to start a discussion of that here. He and I already did it, in a previous thread entitled "Watch out for fake red light camera tickets, in California." The most recent post on it was April 12, so you may have to go down a few pages to find it.

If you do somehow receive a ticket in the mail (and I think you will not), have a look at the website highwayrobbery.net. It is about fighting those tickets.

And, while I am up here on my soap box, have a look at the recent post about speed cameras coming to California.

NACOL

 

[CdwJava]

statement "You are not supposed to enter the intersection until the turning movement can be safely completed or you can clear the intersection prior to the light [for the cross traffic?] turning green." But I am not going to start a discussion of that here. We already did it, in a previous thread.

Actually, I meant to write that you are not generally supposed to enter the intersection unless you can clear it prior to the light turning RED.

And I don't write 'em (the laws), I just enforce 'em.

- Carl

 

[racer72]

Another suggestion, find a driver's guide and learn the meaning of "stale green light". It will save you some hassles in the future.

 

[NotACopOrLawyer]

A previous post-er wrote: "Actually, I meant to write that you are not generally supposed to enter the intersection unless you can clear it prior to the light turning RED." (Bolding added.)

I do not agree with that post, either. He has suggested that that is "generally" the law, and it is not. That is only (approximately) the rule in a "gridlock" situation, and the original post-er in this thread was not in a gridlock situation. Nor has there been any mention of gridlock by any other poster in this thead.

NACOL

 

[CdwJava]

Agree or not, depending on the section used, it is true that a driver generally cannot enter the intersection for a turn unless such a turn can be made without stopping within the intersection. This is rarely enforced, but it certainly can be. However, usually the wrong section is cited by the officer when they try this.

Though I do agree that there is no indication that this is the case for the OP's situation.

- Carl

 

[Who's Liable?]

They did a few studies here in Arizona in regards to red-light cameras...

Many people were complaining that the cameras were flashing when the light was still yellow and not indeed red as they were supposed to. That as well as being in the intersection BEFORE the light flashed... They tested several cameras and all were %100 percent perfect... ALL the vehicles were in the intersection when the light was red, hence all guilty of running a red-light.

heard several stories in regards to whether or not the tickets were legal... The one that stands out the most is the man who refused to pay the ticket and sent in a photo of the monies to pay the bill, to which the police sent a photo of handcuffs back to him... he promptly paid up...

 

[DSKDriverCali]

Anyone ever gotten one of these? At what angles are they shot and what do they show? I know they are at the street corners so I would imagine it would be difficult to get a straight picture of the front of the car. So, would the bottom of the windshield on the passenger side where my temp registration is even show in the photos?

 

[CdwJava]

Anyone ever gotten one of these? At what angles are they shot and what do they show? I know they are at the street corners so I would imagine it would be difficult to get a straight picture of the front of the car. So, would the bottom of the windshield on the passenger side where my temp registration is even show in the photos?

I imagine they'd be able to see a little piece of white in the corner, but there is certainly going to be insufficient resolution to read it even if it were completely unfolded.

- Carl