Alright I think I just got flashed by one of those goddamn things so what happens now? Will I see a ticket in the mail?
If it turns out you did indeed break the law (they will determine that with their given evidence - the photograph) then yes, mail.
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A red light camera needs several things to ticket you:
1 ) A clear shot of your face.
2) A clear shot of your license plate.
3) Reason to believe that your driving constitutes unsafe driving.
Without #1 they can only say that it was your car running the red, but they can’t say it was you and thus you cannot be ticketed. They will likely lie and scare you to try to get you to snitch out whoever did (and while you are not obligated to tell them, note that it is a felony to lie to them and make up a fake driver) If they do ticket you anyway and the photo is enough to make it look doubtful that you were the one driving, you can contest it.
Without #2 they only have a picture of your face to work with, and if a cop is determined enough to find your information using only a photo of your face… well, he’s an asshole.
People don’t get ticketed for #3 quite often - people might run reds to make way for an emergency vehicle. Or they might run a red because it would’ve been more unsafe if they didn’t. Or they were just making a right turn on red. Or maybe the cops reviewing cases that day just decide to be real nice.
I’ve seen those things flash even when there isn’t anyone in the intersection.
You are doomed.
You will now be forced to post upon the website www.shoryuken.com.
…Oh, wait…
-Starhammer-
That is not true, I cant remember where this occured, but a man sued the county in which he recieved the ticket in because the picture showed him in his car with a prostitute or mistress, and his wife opened up the letter, and saw it, and divorced him. So they no longer show your face, just you going through the red, and your license plate.
You can always appeal and get it reduced most of the time. I just got one of those, in fact, the day I showed back up from Evo, it showed up in my mailbox. I knew I was getting one, because I tried to go through a light, a semi-truck for the county I live in stopped in the lane, making me stop, the light turned red, ticket for me. It sucked but it was only $125. Now I never try to get through that god awful light, and I have to go through it everyday…