running red light in San Francisco
Oct 1st, 2009, 04:07 PM
#22
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I do not know the law myself, but this....Being in the intersection in any way during a yellow is OK. Even if the light turns red while you are in the intersection....is absolutely contrary to what a policeman told my friend when he pulled him over and gave him a ticket for doing just this (i.e. going into the intersection when the light was yellow, and still being in the intersection when the light turned red, even though he wasn't "blocking the box")
Oct 1st, 2009, 04:44 PM
#23
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I've seen a flash too after I went through on a yellow. I never got a notice about the incident. I'm sure it shows me in the intersection too far when the light turned red which is why I never received the citation.
Oct 1st, 2009, 05:26 PM
#24
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Being married to someone "in the know" , here is the scoop.
It takes about a month to receive the violation. You probably won't get one since you are an out of towner. It has to identify the face of the driver with your license picture in order for you to get the ticket in the mail.
Just because the light went off doesn't mean that you were in the wrong, the photo's are all analized. They take pictures all the time, so don't assume if you saw the camera flash that you are going to get a ticket.
That said, this is to a few of the comments above. You are right that if your front tires have crossed the line while the light is yellow, you are in the right of way, BUT, you are not allowed to gun the car 50 feet from the line so that you can accomplish this , this is speeding AND running a red light.
Please don't run red lights, in my city or yours. I have seen someone do what I just explained, went around another car to get through the intersection and ran into a stroller in the crosswalk on the other side, sending the 3 year old flying, with a lifetime of injuries. It was his first offense and he got off with a slap on the hand, unthinkable.
It takes about a month to receive the violation. You probably won't get one since you are an out of towner. It has to identify the face of the driver with your license picture in order for you to get the ticket in the mail.
Just because the light went off doesn't mean that you were in the wrong, the photo's are all analized. They take pictures all the time, so don't assume if you saw the camera flash that you are going to get a ticket.
That said, this is to a few of the comments above. You are right that if your front tires have crossed the line while the light is yellow, you are in the right of way, BUT, you are not allowed to gun the car 50 feet from the line so that you can accomplish this , this is speeding AND running a red light.
Please don't run red lights, in my city or yours. I have seen someone do what I just explained, went around another car to get through the intersection and ran into a stroller in the crosswalk on the other side, sending the 3 year old flying, with a lifetime of injuries. It was his first offense and he got off with a slap on the hand, unthinkable.
Oct 1st, 2009, 05:57 PM
#25
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>>
This makes no sense. Of course you can get a photo-ticket even if your license is not issued by the State of California. The ticket is sent to the registered owner of the car based on the license plate info, the photo is so they can prove who was driving. We got just such a ticket in Arizona (we are licensed in California). The ticket went to Hertz and then was sent to us. Trust me, the person in the photo was my husband.
This makes no sense. Of course you can get a photo-ticket even if your license is not issued by the State of California. The ticket is sent to the registered owner of the car based on the license plate info, the photo is so they can prove who was driving. We got just such a ticket in Arizona (we are licensed in California). The ticket went to Hertz and then was sent to us. Trust me, the person in the photo was my husband.
Oct 1st, 2009, 06:15 PM
#26
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I'm sorry, I didn't mean your face has to match your license plate.
The "car" can not get a ticket, nor the 'registered owner'. The face recognition has to match you with the picture on your drives licence, in what ever state it was issued. For example, if I loan my car to my friend and they run a red light, I nor my car have to pay this ticket, nor do I have to tell them who was driving.
Arizona must have had access to California DMV info. The car was registered to Hertz, who told them who was driving, they did a cross check and bingo, it was your husband in the photo and on the drivers license.
The "car" can not get a ticket, nor the 'registered owner'. The face recognition has to match you with the picture on your drives licence, in what ever state it was issued. For example, if I loan my car to my friend and they run a red light, I nor my car have to pay this ticket, nor do I have to tell them who was driving.
Arizona must have had access to California DMV info. The car was registered to Hertz, who told them who was driving, they did a cross check and bingo, it was your husband in the photo and on the drivers license.
Oct 1st, 2009, 06:36 PM
#27
"I do not know the law myself, but this....Being in the intersection in any way during a yellow is OK. Even if the light turns red while you are in the intersection....is absolutely contrary to what a policeman told my friend when he pulled him over and gave him a ticket for doing just this (i.e. going into the intersection when the light was yellow, and still being in the intersection when the light turned red, even though he wasn't "blocking the box")"
Did he tell you this or were you in the car w/ him? Maybe there is a bit of 'literary license' in your friend's description of what happened. Where was this? If your friend speeded up to make the yellow - then as susanna explained, he could get speeding and red light violations.
When I typed 'in any way' I knew some would take that literally -- there are always exceptions. But in general the rule is: enter the intersection on yellow and you are OK.
And I 100% agree w/ susanna - DON'T run red lights!!!!
I just loved it - as I said I attended all the hearings re installing cameras in my city. There were several. And the whining testimony we heard from folks saying it just isn't fair!, invasion of privacy!, police state!. My goodness -- if you don't run the light there is nothing to worry about. I just wish we had them at every intersection in town, instead of just a few high volume/high profile places.
Did he tell you this or were you in the car w/ him? Maybe there is a bit of 'literary license' in your friend's description of what happened. Where was this? If your friend speeded up to make the yellow - then as susanna explained, he could get speeding and red light violations.
When I typed 'in any way' I knew some would take that literally -- there are always exceptions. But in general the rule is: enter the intersection on yellow and you are OK.
And I 100% agree w/ susanna - DON'T run red lights!!!!
I just loved it - as I said I attended all the hearings re installing cameras in my city. There were several. And the whining testimony we heard from folks saying it just isn't fair!, invasion of privacy!, police state!. My goodness -- if you don't run the light there is nothing to worry about. I just wish we had them at every intersection in town, instead of just a few high volume/high profile places.
Oct 2nd, 2009, 05:40 PM
#28
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I've been reading this thread with interest. And now my ds just told me that while riding his bike on campus, he was ticketed for failing to stop at a stop sign - $175!!! This will be thrown out if he attends a 45 minute safety class which he has already registered for. His explanation is that he stops at stop signs when necessary and in this case, no vehicles or pedestrians were around. My response was to ask him if it's okay for me to go through a red light if there are no other cars on the street. He thought this was a poor analogy. Call me mean mom, but I hope he learns something from the safety class! Some laws are for a damn good reason.
Oct 2nd, 2009, 06:54 PM
#33
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In Egypt they do it even if there are other cars on the street. Or pedestrians. Never seen anything like it. The only way to cross the street in Cairo is to attach yourself to an old person ("They didn't get old by being stupid").
Oct 2nd, 2009, 07:24 PM
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Did you ever hear of 'more luck than brains?'
Well, yes, but it really doesn't explain it -- seriously, there simply are NO, and I mean NO, rules of the road. You've heard of whitelining, for example, which is when motorcycles go in between slower lanes of cars (which is legal in California at least), well, in Cairo, they do that with cars! There are almost no stop lights in Cairo. On the ring road, they drive 60 mph, suddenly slam on their brakes and back up to pick up a pedestrian on the side of the road. They ride in jitneys (old Volkswagen vans) at 60 mph with the side door open and their legs hanging out. And on and on and on. I think the crazy traffic might have been more impressive than the Great Pyramid!
Well, yes, but it really doesn't explain it -- seriously, there simply are NO, and I mean NO, rules of the road. You've heard of whitelining, for example, which is when motorcycles go in between slower lanes of cars (which is legal in California at least), well, in Cairo, they do that with cars! There are almost no stop lights in Cairo. On the ring road, they drive 60 mph, suddenly slam on their brakes and back up to pick up a pedestrian on the side of the road. They ride in jitneys (old Volkswagen vans) at 60 mph with the side door open and their legs hanging out. And on and on and on. I think the crazy traffic might have been more impressive than the Great Pyramid!
Oct 3rd, 2009, 06:05 AM
#36
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The remark referred to the old pedestrians, not the drivers.
I think Rome can be pretty bad too. I got hit by a car there as a passenger on a motorcycle - not very pretty! Come to think of it, I had more luck than brains then too!
I think Rome can be pretty bad too. I got hit by a car there as a passenger on a motorcycle - not very pretty! Come to think of it, I had more luck than brains then too!
Oct 3rd, 2009, 08:53 AM
#37
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In CA the registered owner is not required by law to identify the driver of the vehicle in the photo. Though the notification you receive appears to require you to do so it is not really a citation until it is issued by a court. If the notification says do not contact the court it means they have not identified the driver and the court has not yet issued a citation. If the car rental agency identifies you to the red light photo enforcement company and the court issues you a ticket then that's a different thing.
Here's a website with information about the photo enforcement:
http://www.highwayrobbery.net/
A person driving a car registered to us was caught by the photo enforcement system. We did not turn them in. Nothing further happened. This was more than a year ago. We've had no trouble registering our car.
Here's a website with information about the photo enforcement:
http://www.highwayrobbery.net/
A person driving a car registered to us was caught by the photo enforcement system. We did not turn them in. Nothing further happened. This was more than a year ago. We've had no trouble registering our car.
Oct 3rd, 2009, 10:39 AM
#38
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The comment about having to ticket the driver and not the registerd owner may be true in some states. It is certainly not true in all of them. Several states specifically hold the registered owner responsible for tickets issued either to the vehicle or to the driver of a vehicle. I know that is true in at least some states that use photo enforcement. It is also true in some states that have transponder identification of vehicles using toll roads, bridges, or lanes.
I would guess that is universally true for parking violations. Otherwise, an officer or citation writer would have to wait for drivers to return and that is just not practical. From personal experience, I know that the only defense a registered owner has in such cases is that he/she did not own the vehicle at the time the citation was issued. The available defenses for a moving violation depend on the laws of the jurisdiction in which it was issued.
I would guess that is universally true for parking violations. Otherwise, an officer or citation writer would have to wait for drivers to return and that is just not practical. From personal experience, I know that the only defense a registered owner has in such cases is that he/she did not own the vehicle at the time the citation was issued. The available defenses for a moving violation depend on the laws of the jurisdiction in which it was issued.
