Want to get someone’s blood boiling? Simply mention the words “Red Light Cameras” and you are sure to get a reaction. The concept has become an industry unto itself because according to Lawyers.com, 21 States have adopted them with revenue generated in Florida alone going up by over 200 percent.
As if the money was not coming in fast enough, one city did not extend the mandated time frame for yellow lights and more than 500 motorists received $158 red-light tickets in a little over a month that they should not have gotten. It is against this backdrop that I listened in wonder when a newly minted Russian American told me he would use his rights as a citizen to fight his red light ticket.
I made the decision to ask Alex on a guest of the podcast because he does not make an argument against the red light cameras, but simply that if they are going to be used then the average citizen needs a fighting chance to adhere to the law and be safe doing so. Keep in mind that most States do not make it easy to challenge a ticket because you are given the option to simply pay the ticket or face fairly heavy fines in a court case. As you listen to Alex describe his research, there is a good deal of math involved in addition to understanding legal definitions in contesting what the cameras show, something that may be beyond a good number of Citizens. Alex then is a man on a quest not only to exercise his rights as a citizen but also to correct a process that he feels works against the average person. And, I think he takes a very novel approach in leveling charges of his own in fighting his ticket .
As the anger against the cameras has grown, legislators in Arizona, Florida, Iowa and several other states are considering bills to remove them. The National Motorists Association has presented 5 different studies that they say demonstrate rather than stopping accidents the cameras increase rear-end collisions:
“After cameras were installed, rear-end crashes increased for the entire six-jurisdiction study area… After controlling for time and traffic volume at each intersection, rear-end crash rates increased by an average of 27% for the entire study area.”
“A conflict of interest affects those entrusted with writing safety regulations for our traffic lights. The Institute of Transportation Engineers is actively involved in lobbying for, and even drafting legislation to implement, red light cameras. They are closely tied to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which in turn is funded by companies that stand to profit handsomely any time points are assessed to a driver’s license.”
To counter this many cities say it has nothing to do with collecting additional revenue, but you have to question their use as safety devices 
when in some places the change from yellow to red does not line up with standards set to insure your safety. Fighting a ticket takes time and patience which the average driver may not have. I’m providing a link to a site that will walk you through some simple tips to help negotiate the process. Alex’ approach has worked for him in a previous red light ticket case under similar circumstances. If you haven’t already done so, listen to the podcast and you be the judge.
UPDATE: Wanted to update the post and let readers know that Alex won his case and his ticket was thrown out. On another front, the County where he received the ticket has voted to remove the red light cameras.