Am I going to get a ticket for this? (home, law)

[squirrels]

I was driving home a few minutes ago, and the snow was really coming down heavy. I went through a six way intersection, traffic was thick and slow,and as I went through the intersection it went yellow, and then red, all while I was in the intersection. When it went yellow, my choices were to either keep going or stop right there, which would have at best left me blocking two lanes of traffic, and at worst sent me skidding away (my car doesn't handle slick roads very well), so I kept going. The light went red and there was a flash which I assume is the red light camera. The only way to have proceeded safely here was to keep going, so am I likely to get a ticket? Or is someone going to look at the photo and see a car proceeding through thick snow and filthy roads, and agree that I was doing the safe thing here and not ticket me?

[chet everett]

Sorry squirrels, what you did is called a red light violation. You will get a ticket. If any human reviews the picture what they will see will be ruled a violation. While it may very well be true that you were validly concerned that you could not safely stop before the intersection but the city coffers demand that such situations be called "too fast for conditions"...

[Thepreacherswife]

Were your tires already past the stop line when the light turned red? If so, no worries. The camera may have been triggered by somebody behind you who entered the intersection after the light was red.

What about drivers turning right on red, or still traveling through the intersection when the light turns red?

Red-light cameras do not take pictures of vehicles legally turning right on red after a complete stop—as required by law—or caught in the intersection after the light turns red (for example, a car already in the intersection waiting to make a left turn). The cameras can only be activated by a vehicle entering the intersection after a light turns red.

http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en...forcement.html

[squirrels]

I thought that might be the case. Hopefully it gets overlooked or at least the fine isn't too big. Maybe I'll get really lucky and the snow made my license plates unreadable. I did have a pretty thick layer on my car from the last couple snows we've had.

Originally Posted by Thepreacherswife

Were your tires already past the stop line when the light turned red? If so, no worries. The camera may have been triggered by somebody behind you who entered the intersection after the light was red.



http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en...forcement.html

That sounds like what happened to me, but I don't think anyone was behind me when I looked after making it across. It could be that they turned though.

[Larry Siegel]

Red-light cameras do not take pictures of vehicles legally turning right on red after a complete stop—as required by law—or caught in the intersection after the light turns red (for example, a car already in the intersection waiting to make a left turn). The cameras can only be activated by a vehicle entering the intersection after a light turns red.

I would like to believe that the law as stated above is fairly applied, but I have gotten a ticket for entering an intersection when the light was yellow and exiting the intersection after it had turned red.

[hlcvd]

do you lose points with a red light violation? can you negotiate it in court in IL?

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by hlcvd

do you lose points with a red light violation? can you negotiate it in court in IL?

No negoitiation but no points against record for the photo enforcement -- it is basically robotic money eating machine!

[Ace Rothstein]

Aren't they $100 tickets? At least they were when I got one about 5-6 years ago. They double if you don't pay them by a certain date.

A former co-worker never got the original ticket but received the notification that she had to pay $200 because she missed the deadline back then as well.

[NARFALICIOUS]

Originally Posted by Ace Rothstein

Aren't they $100 tickets? At least they were when I got one about 5-6 years ago. They double if you don't pay them by a certain date.

A former co-worker never got the original ticket but received the notification that she had to pay $200 because she missed the deadline back then as well.

Yes, they are 100 dollar tickets. And yes, if you don't pay up it doubles to 200, then to 400.

Originally Posted by squirrels

I was driving home a few minutes ago, and the snow was really coming down heavy. I went through a six way intersection, traffic was thick and slow,and as I went through the intersection it went yellow, and then red, all while I was in the intersection. When it went yellow, my choices were to either keep going or stop right there, which would have at best left me blocking two lanes of traffic, and at worst sent me skidding away (my car doesn't handle slick roads very well), so I kept going. The light went red and there was a flash which I assume is the red light camera. The only way to have proceeded safely here was to keep going, so am I likely to get a ticket? Or is someone going to look at the photo and see a car proceeding through thick snow and filthy roads, and agree that I was doing the safe thing here and not ticket me?

You will get the ticket. It may be worth fighting, you've got nothing to lose, except your personal time. Make sure you contest right away if you are going to, that way you can do it by mail. Although I can't remember if red light tickets can be contested by mail. I never contested one. I've contested parking tickets only.

[MSchemist80]

You will not win in those kangaroo court administrative hearings.

They will send you a ticket showing the light red with your car before the stop line and then in the intersection. I got a ticket for stopping past the top line while waiting to turn right on red (legal). There is a technicality that you have to stop at the stop line for a 5 or whatever count before creeping up which is where the vast majority of tickets at legal right on red intersection come from. I just never went into the city again after that. I choose not to support places that rob their citizens and turn into a police state.