Do red light/speed cameras always flash in Arizona?

[dontwalkhand]

Do they always flash on the Mesa, AZ ones? I am most worried about these ones because the light turned yellow at an intersection, and I had two decisions

a. Slam on the brakes really hard to stop, and risk the guy behind me rear ending me.

b. Speed up before the yellow turns red.

I chose option B, but I am not sure if the yellow was shortened, and could have been red, etc. There was no flash, but there was a camera at this intersection. If there was no flash, that means the camera didn't activate right?

I really hope so, these red light cameras are theft especially because they shorten the yellow light!

 

[Zombie Acorn]

I suggest everyone stomp on their breaks and get a car to rear-end you, after a while they will take them out if they have any sense.

 

[juanm]

I love how in some places (Darwin in Australia's NT, for instance) they have a separate set of yellow lights before the actual red light that start flashing to tell you you're going to get the yellow or red right. If you're good to go, they stay off...

 

[dontwalkhand]

I love how in some places (Darwin in Australia's NT, for instance) they have a separate set of yellow lights before the actual red light that start flashing to tell you you're going to get the yellow or red right. If you're good to go, they stay off...

I know we have some of those in Tempe, AZ, there is a big sign along with flashing lights saying "Red Signal ahead" and they are off and the sign is dark when it is a green light.

 

[janitorC7]

I love how in some places (Darwin in Australia's NT, for instance) they have a separate set of yellow lights before the actual red light that start flashing to tell you you're going to get the yellow or red right. If you're good to go, they stay off...

waaaaa?

 

[tooz]

red light cameras will only record if you ENTER the intersection after the light has turned red. If you are already in the intersection, they won't flash you

 

[MasterDev]

Whenever I'm around those cameras, I usually just keep my speed down and make sure I'm ready for a hard stop if needed.

 

[Sun Baked]

Yep, they almost always flash when giving a ticket.

If you are going the speed limit, you will have time to stop at the line.

If the light turned yellow while you were too close to stop, you should be fine.

---

And get the freeway speeding out of your system before the laws catch up with the cameras, and the ticket goes from a non-moving violation to a moving violation whacking you for points.

 

[wywern209]

i hate these stupid cams. what happened to cops pulling u over and just handing u a ticket? there is no fun in the game anymore cuz u will be caught.

 

[yg17]

And get the freeway speeding out of your system before the laws catch up with the cameras, and the ticket goes from a non-moving violation to a moving violation whacking you for points.

How is that possible when they don't know who is driving the car? If I let someone borrow my car and they end up getting a ticket in it, they can't give me the points because I wasn't driving it.

 

[brad.c]

And get the freeway speeding out of your system before the laws catch up with the cameras, and the ticket goes from a non-moving violation to a moving violation whacking you for points.

I'm waiting for toll roads like the 407 above Toronto, which have photo sensors that can image your car at entry and exit points, to automatically calculate the distance travelled over time, and pop off a speeding ticket to the tag holder.

 

[Sun Baked]

How is that possible when they don't know who is driving the car? If I let someone borrow my car and they end up getting a ticket in it, they can't give me the points because I wasn't driving it.

They send you a ticket with photos of the car's plates and the driver.

If the sex of the driver, race, and age are similar ... they send the ticket to the owner of the car.

If it isn't you, simply go to court and say it wasn't you.

You can't lie about who was driving either now, since the window is a court window and a sworn statement to the court.

---

Right now in AZ the freeway tickets are on the level of a parking ticket. But AZ is strange, since failure to pay a parking ticket will result in a Revoked license. Nothing new here about that, been that way a long time. Usually they slam you with it for serious matters like a DUI on a Revoked license.

 

[sammich]

waaaaa?

It's a separate sign that warns you if a red light is coming up ahead. Imagine you're approaching a red light intersection that is just beyond a hill, you can't see the actual lights until you reach the crest, so the secondary lights flash in advance *if and only if* the light ahead is about to change to yellow/amber.

How is that possible when they don't know who is driving the car? If I let someone borrow my car and they end up getting a ticket in it, they can't give me the points because I wasn't driving it.

The fine gets sent to the registered address of your number plate, and you will get hit for the fine/points unless the person who was actually driving fills in the form saying they did it.

 

[sammich]

They send you a ticket with photos of the car's plates and the driver.

If the sex of the driver, race, and age are similar ... they send the ticket to the owner of the car.

If it isn't you, simply go to court and say it wasn't you.

You can't lie about who was driving either now, since the window is a court window and a sworn statement to the court.

In Australia (i'm not 100% sure this is true) but they cannot take a photo of your face, just your plates, because it is an 'invasion of privacy'.

One for the Aussie's here: Marcus Einfield almost got away with it cos of this.

This happened to me anyway, I was driving my brothers car and I got caught speeding at a barely month old speed camera, he got sent the fine, and I filled in a form saying it was me that did it.

 

[Thomas Veil]

This happened to me anyway, I was driving my brothers car and I got caught speeding at a barely month old speed camera, he got sent the fine, and I filled in a form saying it was me that did it.

Can you imagine the family fights that will ensue among people who aren't as honest as you?

They send you a ticket with photos of the car's plates and the driver.

If the sex of the driver, race, and age are similar ... they send the ticket to the owner of the car.

If it isn't you, simply go to court and say it wasn't you.

You can't lie about who was driving either now, since the window is a court window and a sworn statement to the court.

Well, that kills my suggestion for wearing a Halloween mask while driving...

 

[Sun Baked]

Well, that kills my suggestion for wearing a Halloween mask while driving...

What, this wasn't you?

The masked speeder: Photo-radar scofflaw is a beast at the wheel

 

[Ttownbeast]

There is one sure fire way to beat a red light camera, it's called spray painting all of them in protest--safer than coming to a screeching hault and getting rear ended.

 

[sammich]

In NSW, Australia, it's State Law that all fixed traffic cameras (speed/red light) have sign posts starting 1km away warning drivers that the camera is up ahead.

It's awesome.

 

[Applepi]

Those cameras are horrible, thankfully I've never been flashed but there have been a few close calls.

 

[aristobrat]

There is one sure fire way to beat a red light camera, it's called spray painting all of them in protest--safer than coming to a screeching hault and getting rear ended.

Why would you have to come to a screeching halt?

The only time they take a picture is if you enter the intersection on a red light.

If you enter the intersection on a yellow light -- and the yellow light turns red before you're through -- you don't get a ticket. So there's no need to panic when the light turns yellow, which is what it seems like a lot of people do.

I think if people actually understood how the damn things worked, there wouldn't be as many people "slamming on the brakes".