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Home > Exploring the many pitfalls motorists face from a system that issues traffic citations via photo enforcement devices
December 05, 2006
By: Lynn Bryant
Red light cameras and photo radar devices are everywhere
now. They are causing some real headaches for motorists, and
not for reasons that you might think. There are some
significant flaws in the current traffic citation system
that uses photo enforcement devices. We will explore some of
the inherent problems with these systems and see if there
are any steps you can take to protect yourself from the
potential headaches.
The two major uses of these camera photo devices are for
photo radar and red light camera citations. Many motorists
are outraged with the use of these photographic enforcement
devices. The fact of the matter is that most of the
complaints motorists are filing are in fact justified. There
are some real inherent flaws with the current enforcement
equipment and ticketing process being used. We will attempt
to review some of the more glaring problems.
- No guarantee recipient actually receives a ticket
-- Most of the tickets that are generated from photo
enforcement cameras are sent to the recipient via US Mail.
There is no way to guarantee that the violator ever
actually receives the ticket. The problem is, if the
motorist does not get the ticket they will never know that
there is a violation placed against them. They have no way
to clear up a violation that they do not even know about.
Law enforcement agencies on the other hand automatically
assume that the motorist received the ticket. There have
been numerous instances where motorists have actually had
warrants issued against them for tickets they never even
knew about.
- Actual driver is not identifiable -- When a
ticket is issued from a photo enforcement camera, it is
issued to the registered owner of the vehicle. Traffic
cameras take pictures of car license plate numbers only.
There is no way to tell who is actually driving the
vehicle. The driver could be anybody, like a family
member, a friend, or even an employee. The problem is, the
burden of proof and the hassle of clearing up the ticket
rests solely on the owner of the vehicle, even though they
might not even be at fault.
- Delay in receipt of ticket -- Since tickets
from these photo enforcing devices are sent in the mail,
it often takes days or even weeks for recipients to
receive their ticket. It is often impossible to recollect
the exact events that took place, which caused the ticket
to be generated. This makes it very difficult for
motorists to defend themselves or prove their innocence
after such a delay in time.
- Faulty readings are generated -- Photo
enforcement equipment is not perfect. Thousands of tickets
have been generated in error. It has been proven that when
photo radar and red light camera devices are inspected and
calibrated on a routine basis, they continue to generate
tickets, which may in fact be faulty. Thousands of invalid
tickets have been generated and issued to innocent
motorists.
After reviewing some of the complaints, it is easy to see
why motorists are so upset. The reality is that drivers have
very little defense against these devices. It is often much
easier to just pay the fine then to bother trying to defend
yourself against an unjustified ticket.
Frustration with these devices has actually spawned a new
market niche for products that are designed to help
motorists block their license plate numbers from these
traffic cameras. One product has shown great success and
remains legal at this time. The product is called the
PhotoBlocker™ Spray
from
PhantomPlate.
The spray creates a clear reflective film over your
license plate that reflects the flash from photo enforcement
cameras. The reflection causes the picture to be overexposed
and thus unreadable. The spray is perfectly clear and is
undetectable making it impossible to tell if it is actually
on your plate.
It is easy to see why frustrated motorists are turning to
the use of products like the PhotoBlocker™ spray in record
numbers. Click on the following links to visit their website
and learn more about this
number plate spray,
a
photograph hiding license plate cover,
or other devices made to defeat
traffic cameras you might find useful. In the meantime,
beware of photographic traffic enforcement devices -- you
never know when a ticket might come in your mail.
About the Author
Lynn Bryant is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Surveillance-Guide.com. Your
definitive guide to video surveillance equipment, CCTV
cameras and wireless security systems for home and business.
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