What triggers a red light camera?

[theuserjohnny]

Odd situation, so I was pulling up to the light to turn right... and as I stopped the lights began to flash? And I was wondering if there was a situation in which I triggered it? From what I remember I was coming in kinda fast when I stopped and it could be possible that when I stopped I may have gone slightly over the line... but my car wasn't so far into the intersection that it was blocking anything. I stopped at where I would typically stop when turning this light in which I'm slightly in so that I can get a better view of the oncoming traffic before turning.

I'm most likely just being paranoid. I didn't run the light but I'm just curious as to why the lights just started to flash. I wasn't paying attention to any of the other cars so I'm not sure if someone else may have caused it and I just happend to stop at that place when it all happened.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

triggering it does not mean a ticket will be issued. It could be you went slightly farther forward than the line so it triggered but since you did not run it then it is tossed out.

 

[killerrobot]

Could've been someone else going the opposite way that triggered it.

There was a whole mythbusters episode dedicated to getting past radar detectors and redlight cameras. I believe the cameras are calibrated to flash at certain speeds and if I remember correctly, a hawk flying fast enough was capable of setting off the redlight cameras as well.

I don't think you rolling up to a line would have ever caused the light to flash.

 

[AlphaDogg]

FWIW, humans actually review the images recorded by red light cameras before issuing tickets.

 

[tech4all]

I've had the red light cameras flash on me a couple of times on a GREEN light.

FWIW, humans actually review the images recorded by red light cameras before issuing tickets.

That's good to know since these do go off for no reason sometimes.

 

[Mr. McMac]

What triggers the red light cameras? Local government greed, that's what

 

[imthenachoman]

No trigger. They take pictures at a set interval. Some only take for a few seconds after they turn red. Some keep taking.

 

[tech4all]

What triggers the red light cameras? Local government greed, that's what

Govt greed yea, but at the same time red light runners need to pay for running a light. A red light does not mean continue on for another 3 seconds. And yes that does happen in my area. And yes I do start driving when my light turns green (just enough to scare the crap out of them) and I'll honk at them and wave them a special sign.

 

[theuserjohnny]

FWIW, humans actually review the images recorded by red light cameras before issuing tickets.

Oh that's good news to hear. I think I'll be fine due to the main fact that I didn't run the red light. I think I was just being paranoid...

 

[Illuminated]

Do you mean that the red light had a flashing white stripe?

 

[thewitt]

Low energy radar senses movement away from the camera when the light is red, triggering the camera.

People review the images - the system itself cannot read your license plate - and write the ticket if you are actually breaking the law.

In Malaysia they snap two pictures and so they can tell if you went thru the intersection or stopped part way.

 

[ideal.dreams]

You'll be fine. Same type of thing happened to us before - we were driving along and stopped really quickly at a red light and it triggered the camera. We did actually stop though and were never issued a ticket.

 

[thatoneguy82]

Odd situation, so I was pulling up to the light to turn right... and as I stopped the lights began to flash? And I was wondering if there was a situation in which I triggered it? From what I remember I was coming in kinda fast when I stopped and it could be possible that when I stopped I may have gone slightly over the line... but my car wasn't so far into the intersection that it was blocking anything. I stopped at where I would typically stop when turning this light in which I'm slightly in so that I can get a better view of the oncoming traffic before turning.

I'm most likely just being paranoid. I didn't run the light but I'm just curious as to why the lights just started to flash. I wasn't paying attention to any of the other cars so I'm not sure if someone else may have caused it and I just happend to stop at that place when it all happened.

You probably crossed the pedestrian crosswalk while the "walk" signal was in place for pedestrians. OR It was a no right turn on red lights (I've seen many of these). Ignorance is no excuse for the law, sorry to say. But, if not any of these, it was probably malfunctioning. You would know if it took a picture of YOU and not someone else. You will see a bright flash straight ahead of you, instead of something in your peripheral vision for other cars going through the red-light.


And FWIW, LA (or maybe CA?) is doing away with the Red Light Cameras that were installed all over the city. Their reason was that it cost too much to maintain and also, I believe, the false positives.

 

[wordoflife]

\Basically there's a sensor before the line and after it, and it can detect when you cross it within a certain period.