Red light violation is a traffic violation in US. When a traffic signal turns red, if any part of the vehicle has passed into an intersection without stopping, with the indication to proceed, the driver will receive a ticket. Again, if the vehicle turned right or left from a one way street to another without stopping when the signal is red, then a red light ticket will be issued.
Reasons for Getting a Ticket
The general reason for receiving a red light ticket is because your vehicle entered an intersection when the traffic light was red. However, it may not have been completely your fault due to extenuating circumstances.
The vehicle coming from behind may have been following too fast and would have hit your vehicle if you stopped. In order to avoid an accident, you may have to continue driving forward, ignoring the red light. Another reason may be that the yellow light was too short and changed quickly to red. The third reason may be that the traffic signal was eclipsed from your field of vision, such as could be the case when following a large truck. These reasons can be used to fight against the red light ticket.
How are Red Light Violation Tickets Enforced?
Red light violation tickets are enforced by an officer or a red light camera. An officer may have noticed the driver committing the offense. On the other hand, automated cameras capture images of the vehicle’s front license plate and driver if the light is red and the vehicles pass over a sensor placed in the intersection. The police check the driver’s photo against the license. A Notice of Violation is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
Challenging the Officer Against the Ticket
Challenging the officer to win a traffic case is not easy because judges will believe the officer in most of the cases and will lead to a driving license suspension. With the help of an experienced attorney, you should be able to prove with evidence such as a photo or eyewitness showing where the officer was located when witnessing the offense. You can also argue that the officer issued the ticket against the driver due to defective vision or personal vendetta. If the driver has proper evidence, then you may win the case.
Challenging the Automated Camera Against the Ticket
The driver can hire the services of an experienced red light ticket attorney such as those at The Law Offices of Sherman M. Ellison to challenge the ticket and avoid a conviction. The attorney can prove that the pictures taken by the camera were of poor clarity, the person in the photo is not the driver, the vehicle does not belong to the driver, the light was not red, equipment was defective, missing warning signs posted and so on.
An experienced and professional red light ticket attorney will help the driver to represent himself effectively, as the attorney will be familiar with rules that vary across different jurisdictions. He will be able to help the driver in avoiding a driving license suspension and reduce the amount of fine which he has to pay.
