PhotoEnforced.com

GPS Warning Systems are the Future of Navigation

2008-07-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

I was watching an interview with the TomTom CEO on CNBC World the other night and heard an interesting fact about the safety of GPS navigation systems. Like cell phones, many people tend to get distracted and too dependent on their GPS navigation system while driving. Accident history is starting to show a high correlation with GPS navigation users and drivers who are making sudden driving decisions. I am not someone who blames the device manufacturer for these accidents but I do think the utility of GPS navigation devices will need to improve in order to save publicity nightmares. These devices may be teaching bad driving habits enabling users to get too dependent on turn by turn directions which often leads to confusion when presented with an obstacle in the road that doesn't exist on the map. I think the market and utility of GPS navigation systems will evolve into "GPS warning systems" for traffic accidents ahead, red light cameras, speed cameras, school crossings and routes with lots of bicycle rides.

Views From Both Sides On The Use Of Red Light Cameras

2008-07-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you to our friends at Beat The Traffic Blog for putting together this info . . .

Supporters of red light cameras say…

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), drivers who run red lights account for 22% of all traffic accidents in the United States.
An IIHS study in Oxnard, California showed that red light running violations dropped 42% after red light cameras was introduced. A similar study in Fairfax, Virginia showed violations declined 40% after one year after.
Publicity of red light cameras deters violations.
Red light cameras don’t have biases and therefore drivers cannot be unfairly profiled.
Privacy issues are null because of the public setting. Also, only people violating the law are photographed.
They make lots of money for cities in need of the revenue.

Those who oppose the use of red light cameras say . . .

The owner might not have been driving the car, yet they are mailed owner the ticket.
Cameras increase other types of accidents, such as rear ending collisions, when people notice the camera and make hasty decisions to avoid ticketing. A Virginia Transportation Research Council study shows an increase of accidents with the installment of red light cameras.
Longer yellow lights can make intersections much safer, in an easy and inexpensive way (check out the findings of the Texas Transportation Institute)
There is no standardization of yellow light duration and several cities have been caught shortening them around a red light camera to increase revenue.
Insurance companies (including IIHS) support red light cameras because more tickets mean they can raise insurance rates
The accused receive notification weeks after the violation and there are no human witnesses to analyze the whole situation.
They are expensive to operate and service the tickets in our court system.
There are not stands to the fines through the U.S. which range from $50-$400.

Red Light Camera Database Reaches 5500+ Locations

2008-07-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

Our crowd sourced database is rapidly growing as we raise the awareness of our database as a platform to share information about red light cameras, speed cameras or anything that is enforced using camera automation. We are talking to a number of potential licensees about using the data in our database to provide to their customers. Remember our database has the first mover advantage having been founded back in 2001. Unfortunately, a number of entrepreneurs have copied our data and used it to start their own POI data service. Our long term vision is to be the standard brand and source for photo enforced information and locations. Thanks to the community for your continued support!

Help Me Find Short Yellow Lights Under 3.5 Seconds

2008-06-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Do you feel like you drove through a light with an extra short yellow? Did you know there are laws and DOT recommendations that require yellow lights to be at least 3.5 seconds. Six cities have already been caught shortening yellow lights by .3 to 1 seconds. 6 cities have been caught: 1) Dallas, Texas 2) Chattanooga, Tennessee 3) Springfield, Missouri 4) Lubbock, Texas 5) Nashville, Tennessee 6) Union City, California

I would suspect there are many other cities in violation including a city near me Culver City. I would love to get some user input if they think their city has a short yellow light. Time the light the next time you are waiting at a stop light and post it here under comments. Thanks in advance for your help!

See this detailed article!

What Happens If I Stop On A Crosswalk?

2008-06-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Question from a reader: What happens if the light just turned yellow and I chose to stop, but stopped with my front tires on the first limit lines of the crosswalk? Thereafter, when the traffic light turned red. I proceeded to back up a little bit. Was the photo captured? Am I at fault? I receive this question from readers about once per week. I don't have the answer and would like to ask my readers what have you experienced. Did you get a ticket? Please submit your comments below.

Rolling Right Turns Rakes In Revenue For Culver City

2008-06-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Make sure you come to a complete stop when making a right turn on red. According to this LA Times article that has been the key to the city staying profitable with its red light camera program. Rolling right turns on a red light will get you a $158 fine in Culver City as compared to running completely through an intersection for a $381 fine. See this chart below of a breakdown in estimated revenue by some Los Angeles cities . . .

Free Red Light Camera Consultation From A Local Lawyer

2008-05-12T13:50:00.001-07:00

Over the last 8 years we have received a lot of questions about tickets that pertain to local legal issues. How can I best fight this ticket? Will this traffic violation give me points on my record? I wasn't driving the car and received a photo enforced ticket? We have started referring your questions to traffic attorneys who can respond quickly and accurately to your questions. Most of the legal questions we receive relate to local law enforcement and therefore should be handled by a professional who knows your respective city laws. If you have any legal questions about fighting your traffic ticket or photo enforcement violation fill out our form here at Photoenforced.com/ticket.html to receive a free consultation from someone within our legal network (Powered by TixNix.com) will respond within 2 business days and sometimes sooner. Attorneys are welcome to sign-up on TixNix.com to become part of our network.

Spring Cleaning of Red Light Camera Database

2008-05-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

As of today we have a fresh new version of the database on the site that has taken into account all of our user updates and new locations. Thank you again to our loyal users who regularly supply updates. A number of cities have revised their fines upward in 2008 and some have taken down cameras. Our database currently has 3,700 active red light camera and speed camera locations in the database. Stay tuned for an exciting new map technology that we are in the process of implementing. We are considering using these new maps along with our database. See www.deadcellzones.com for a preview of the look an feel. We also have a number of local web sites who are using our data and we are happy to see it.

Rolling Right Turn Ticket ?

2008-04-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a question from an email l received and would like your help answering . . .

I got a red light ticket in Orange County Ca, for a rolling right turn. The signs say "photo enforced" but the star witness is the video that they have. The photos that they send you in the ticket doesn't prove you didn't make a fast stop in between the photos. Has anyone ever used this defense that has emailed you...that the signs are incorrect because California VC 21455.5 (a) (1) says Identifies the system by signs......etc. How is "Photo enforced" Identifying a video system. Any feedback would be helpful..thanks

Real Time Red Light Camera Ticket Notification Is Needed

2008-03-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

I must have picked up a good domain name as we get emails everyday from drivers who think we are the company that manages and installs the cameras. We often receive questions like can you look up my license plate? Can you tell me if I received a ticket? How do I pay for my ticket? Which leads me to the question of customer service management for the municipalities running the programs. I think there needs to be a national destination web site for "customers" (aka individuals who have received tickets) to log into a central database and find out if they received a ticket and how to pay the fine. Guilty drivers do not want to wait two weeks to receive the notice and might even want to modify the physical mailing address tied to the vehicle to avoid employer or owner conflicts. I think the implementation of such as program would result in improved payment recovery for the cities. Please let us know if you can help us connect with companies and individuals from Red Flex and others who install and manage the cameras?

Question - Did I Get A Ticket?

2008-02-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

Question - I was in the left turn lane and waiting for the the traffic light to turn green and this is what happened. The lights for regular/straight traffic turned green, but the light for the left turn was still red. Because I was quite tired, I crossed the line and slightly entered the intersection. I realized my mistake, and reversed. Will I get a ticket? I did not see a flash or anything. If pictures are taken, will pictures see me "correcting" my error? Any information helps. Thank you.

Answer - No, it is not likely that you will get a ticket because there are usually minimum requirements for speed and direction of travel to get a violation. Also, seeing a bright flash is a good indication that someone around you made a violation. The flashes are bright and very hard to miss.

Google Maps & Red Light Cameras

2008-02-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

I think our photo enforced data could be a killer application if syndicated on Google Maps. However, my emails are never answered and still sense there is a lot of "NIH" at Google. Data transparency of photo enforced locations is a big problem and is primarily a local issue in the U.S. A complete and accurate data set of these locations will always be hard to find as long as local U.S. governments lack the transparency necessary to track all of the thousands of locations. Google could play a big role in management and tracking of these locations if they simply decided to get behind our vision and help us syndicate the data. It has taken me eight years to build the database of locations and will not stand for the all of the mapping giants copying our data!

Red Light Cameras - About Money or Safety?

2008-02-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

5 Studies have shown that red light cameras increase accidents. I have always contented that driving through an intersection that has a red light camera changes your behavior. It makes you more hesitant to go through the intersection if you sense the light is going to change and also makes you want to speed up if you think you might be on the long side of a yellow light. Nervous driving does not create a safer driving environment for everyone.

I saw a flash, did I get a photo enforced ticket?

2008-01-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

Four of the most common questions I receive from visitors are the following with regards to “I saw a flash, did I get a photo enforced ticket?” Most of these cases below DO NOT result in a violation for the following reason. To receive a red light camera violation most cameras require the vehicle to be traveling through the intersection at a minimum speed.

1) I saw a flash when making a left turn.
2) I saw a flash when making a right turn on red.
3) I was stopped in the middle of intersection due to stopped traffic in front of me.
4) I stopped my car over the cross walk line.
We would appreciate comments from anyone with additional information or experiences to share.

Share Your Photo Enforced Ticket On Flickr

2007-12-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

A user sent me this Flickr group for people to share their shame of getting caught on camera. Check in with us periodically for some funny photos. http://www.flickr.com/groups/photoenforced/

Stop Sign Photo Enforced Camera Locations

2007-12-03T16:38:00.000-08:00

Automated Stop Sign Photographic Systems will have cameras mounted at certain intersections that will record all vehicles that pass through. Unlike red light cameras, where a flash goes off when a car runs a red light, no flash will occur when a violation is committed at the stop signs. Instead, the tape will roll and at a later time be viewed by a police officer who will look for individuals going through without stopping. The fine is currently $100-200 and our database is now setup to accept these locations.

Is Stopping On The Crosswalk A Red Light Violation?

2007-06-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

I received this email from a recent user and I do not know the answer:

I have recently went through an intersection, the light turned yellow and I applied the brakes really hard, but my car stopped over the designated stop line. I did not stop in the middle of the intersection, but the front wheels of my car passed the stop line. Is this a case in which the camera could have taken a photo under charges that I passed on red? My car stopped exactly on the pedestrian crosswalk of the intersection, but my car did not prevent the cars from crossing the intersection. Please email or post your response.

We Are Looking Users To Interview With The Dallas Morning News?

2007-04-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

A senior writer David Flick from the Dallas Morning News would like to talk to a couple of people from the Dallas area who have contributed red light camera locations to PhotoEnforced.com. He would like to do short on-the-record phone interview. His questions are how you learned about the web site, what your own experience has been with red-light-cameras, what's your opinion of red light cameras, etc. If you are interested, please email him within the next few days at dflick@dallasnews.com with a day time phone number where he could contact you. See www.dallasnews.com

Photo Enforced T-Shirts @ CafePress.com

2007-03-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

We would like to thank you ever is behind the development of these T-Shirts. Warn those around you that you're Photo Enforced and not to be toyed with.

Redflex and ATS red light camera costs revealed

2007-02-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

Redflex and ATS red light camera costs revealed according to a Lafayette, LA news article. What does it cost the taxpayer or local governments to provide red light cameras? Assuming a profit sharing scenarios, Redflex’s red light camera proposal resulted in the least expensive system — ranging from $6,269 to $83,375. ATS’ red light camera proposal resulted in costs that ranged between $6,000 to $120,000, according to the documents, provided by the Traffic and Transportation Department.

Red light cameras are a $2.1 - $4.2 billion market opportunity in the U.S.

2007-02-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

Less than 1% of the market currently penetrated for red light cameras of the 350,000 signalized intersections. Estimates figure 2,500 intersections currently monitored. Potential market is up to 70,000 systems in the near future. Average potential 4 directions which =1,400,000 directions of travel. 5%-10% estimate of total market opporutnity which = 35,000 - 70,000 approaches. This equals a US $2.1 bilion to 4.2 BB market potentail.

U.S. studies show accidents actually increase after red light cameras are installed

2007-02-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

Studies throughout the U.S. show accidents actually increase after red light cameras are installed. From what I read there are fewer "T-bone" crashes and more occurrences rear end "fender benders". Here are a few cities and their reported increases:

Greensboro, N.C. -- 40 percent increase
Anne Arundel County, Md. -- 41 percent increase
Marietta,Ga. -- 51 percent increase
Ontario, Canada -- 15 percent increase
Winnipeg, Candada -- 58 percent increase

Custom License Plate 0D000D0

2007-02-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

Sean Tierney hates photo radar. So he decided to think up a creative way to challenge the system and avoid a future ticket. Tierney is not covering up or altering his license plate in any way. And he’s not selling anything. Tempe high-tech businessman ordered a customized Arizona license plate of zeroes, O’s and D’s that blend together in a way that could make it confusing for a photo-enforcement citation reviewer to confirm the license plate. See the link for a picture of the license plate.

Ticket successfully challenged due to light not shown in the picture

2007-02-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Woman challenges a red light camera ticket in court because the ticket fails to prove the light was actually red and that the photo was inadmissible in court. She went to court and pleaded not guilty and opted to challenge the system by questioning the accuracy of the cameras. "The light was not shown in the picture so there was no proof that the light was red," she said in court. Click on the article to read the other details of the case.

Bill to propose flashing beacons at monitored intersections

2007-02-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

Red light cameras are not a public safety measure but a guise to raise money for the city of Albuquerque, according to one Republican lawmaker. Sen. Bill Payne, R-Albuquerque, is proposing putting up early warning signs for the yellow warning light on traffic signals with cameras. The bill would require flashing beacons as well as a reminder at all camera-monitored intersections in the state.