Red light cameras

[Matty4]

Firstly.....I don't want to see this disintegrate into a flaming mess, so please keep it civil

The 70+ mother of my wifes friend received a fine in the mail the other day for going through a red light. She requested a copy of the image and apparently (I haven't seen it personally) the image clearly shows the lights as amber after she has entered the intersection. I assume she hasn't sped up to make the lights as there was no mention of a speeding ticket with the red light one.

If this is all correct then Civic Compliance here in Vic would rescind the fine surely?????

[stang65]

I know a police officer can book you for going through an amber light,but my understanding is with tixed red light cameras is that the light must have turned red for the flsh to go off as well as the rear tyres must have crossed over the line.

You can actually google red light vic cameras and you should find some faq that might help on their site.

[Matty4]

Found this,

Q. If a driver enters an intersection once a light has turned amber and the light turns red before the driver passes through the intersection, is that considered running a red light?


A. No.

Taken from here
http://www.arrivealive.vic.gov.au/in...d_cameras.html

I think a correctly worded letter will suffice in having this cancelled.

[Ducati888]

It is a fact that in Victoria, if you have not had a fine in two years or more that they will rescind it if you write a letter to ask for a caution only. Ask her what her driving record is. If she has not had a fine within the last two years she will get off it.

PM me if you want more details. I've done this and have assisted a number of people to do this with 100% success. I can also provide a template letter for you.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by Ducati888

It is a fact that in Victoria, if you have not had a fine in two years or more that they will rescind it if you write a letter to ask for a caution only. Ask her what her driving record is. If she has not had a fine within the last two years she will get off it.

PM me if you want more details. I've done this and have assisted a number of people to do this with 100% success. I can also provide a template letter for you.

She hasnt committed an offence. Id be leaving that little nugget for when she has.

Apparently the light was amber, no offence if her car is in the intersection. Might be harder if the rear wheels are still behind the line though.

[Reaper8]

The amber is only a caution/warning that the light is about to turn red. its not an offence

[GS608]

Originally Posted by Reaper8

The amber is only a caution/warning that the light is about to turn red. its not an offence

But it also means STOP if safe to do so...hence Police can book you for running ambers if they believe it was safe for you to stop.

[Jim Goose]

Not an offence... if the light is clearly yellow then the camera has malfunctioned.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by 5.0

But it also means STOP if safe to do so...hence Police can book you for running ambers if they believe it was safe for you to stop.

true, but no one actually knows if it was not safe to do so. if the photo shows the light on amber, then there is no offence committed. it may be reasonable to suggest that she could have stopped in time, but there would be no proof going by the photo alone

[chrisfpv]

Originally Posted by Reaper8

The amber is only a caution/warning that the light is about to turn red. its not an offence

Correct. A nicely worded letter will see this dropped without any dramas I'd imagine.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by 5.0

But it also means STOP if safe to do so...hence Police can book you for running ambers if they believe it was safe for you to stop.

Correct, but honestly they would have to be there and then watching you to ensure they can determine it would be safe to stop. IMO it would be hard for them to determine in the short period.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Matty4

She requested a copy of the image and apparently (I haven't seen it personally) the image clearly shows the lights as amber

no offense, but given you haven't seen the photo, is it possible the picture does actually show a red light but your wife's friends mum has mistaken it as amber??

the camera will not activate on amber, so given there is a photo, then someone has triggered the camera on a red. possibly a following vehicle perhaps.

i think there's more to the story. before the discussion gets too far along, i'd suggest personally viewing the photo just to clear that side of it up.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by prydey

no offense, but given you haven't seen the photo, is it possible the picture does actually show a red light but your wife's friends mum has mistaken it as amber??

the camera will not activate on amber, so given there is a photo, then someone has triggered the camera on a red. possibly a following vehicle perhaps.

i think there's more to the story. before the discussion gets too far along, i'd suggest personally viewing the photo just to clear that side of it up.

very true - my first thoughts were it either malfunctioned or another car was involved too
you would be hoping that in a photo that anyone who has seen it would be certain of the colour. it shouldn't be open to perception as driving through one could be - the photo "should" be proof and hopefully anyone who saw it would know for sure . . . hopefully

[GS608]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Correct, but honestly they would have to be there and then watching you to ensure they can determine it would be safe to stop. IMO it would be hard for them to determine in the short period.

True from a camera it is impossible to tell, as a rule of thumb I was told by my driving instructor a few years ago that if the light turns Amber while entering or in that solid line area at the intersection it's safer to continue through rather than stop.

[atec77]

Originally Posted by Matty4

Firstly.....I don't want to see this disintegrate into a flaming mess, so please keep it civil

The 70+ mother of my wifes friend received a fine in the mail the other day for going through a red light. She requested a copy of the image and apparently (I haven't seen it personally) the image clearly shows the lights as amber after she has entered the intersection. I assume she hasn't sped up to make the lights as there was no mention of a speeding ticket with the red light one.

If this is all correct then Civic Compliance here in Vic would rescind the fine surely?????

Look at the basic premise of red and amber , amber means stop if able to do so with safety , if the snap shows an amber then a letter explaining she entered in a slow traffic stream and the light changed as she crossed should see it rescinded as imho no law was broken but of course this will need examining the local law to be sure

[gtxb67]

to my understanding if matty's mother in law was photographed with the amber light, the camera could not have taken a photo unless it was faulty

maybe she was over 2 lanes at the time and a turning arrow was different to the straight ahead light and being over 2 lanes she tripped it. that however should not mean that two photo's would be taken. to be caught by a red light camera, you get a photo as you enter the intersection and another to prove you continued through it. if you stop just over the line, it will take your photo, but without the second photo you will not be fined


as prydey suggested (and no offense to matty or his family, maybe there is more to it. however, you would honestly think that anyone could tell from a photo whether the light was amber or not. full credit to matty though for not pretending he has seen the photo himself






i am not sure how to go about it, but you can still purchase the photos can't you. send that in with the fine and i would hope nothing more would come from it. if purchasing is not an attractive option, take a mobile phone along and photograph the picture. surely that would give enough doubt in court, no matter what the powers that be do with the original photo