Protection from redlight cameras

Mythbusters did an episode last year about devices to foil radar cameras. Here are the results http://mythbustersresults.com/episode73

I think the only way you could foil a red light camera was to drive 200+ MPH. (you need a rocket attached to your car).

Not worth it to buy...

NOPE - MythBusters busted that too. They said you would have to go closer to 275+ to beat it, but as camera technology gets better (i.e. better resolution) you'll just have to go faster and faster to beat it... and frankly if you're going 200+ in traffic....YIKES. I hope you like being a smear on the pavement when you hit someone going that fast.

Haha I didn't know the exact speed. But yeah, either way it wouldn't matter. Nobody could go that fast on a road anyway.

I've gotten one Red Light ticket before, it was at night and seemed to rely on the reflective properties of the plates here in MD, so I painted over mine with regular white paint and regular black paint (where appropriate), difference can't be told unless your looking for it and I know I've gone thru that light atleast once again (on purpose, yeah possible expensive experiment) at night and no ticket. Don't know how it would fly during the day though.

I can't believe you actually did that just to avoid red light cameras.

Did it ever cross your mind that instead of doing something illegal, maybe you should just drive safely and obey the traffic lights!!

I wish I had your personal info so I could report you to the police. Since what you have done is illegal.

Well since I usually go thru there about 3am, can see if anybody is approaching and have been rear-ended by a drunk at that intersection, going thru the light is the least of my worries. But thanks for your concern...

is don't go through yellow or red lights and if you are using the red light cameras on your gpsr, anticipate!!!!!!

This post has taken an odd and ugly turn....

Anyways, knowing where the cameras are or having a GPS unit to alert you should be all that is needed to avoid a ticket. The signage is unreal obvious too, at least in the states I've seen them.

At night, cops often watch major intersections or notorious dangerous intersections......even if a red light camera is present. Can't imagine "testing" a camera at night, cause it seems like more people get pulled over around here after dark than during the day. Intersting idea about painting the tag though. Not condoning it, cause the penalty for that must be stiff.

Good luck and if nothing else....stay safe.

I've noticed that cops hang out a lot at donut shops - no seriously. But more frequently they can be found near police stations. I have heard that this is the case because they have to get a certain number of hours on their shift in and they like being near 'home' when their shift ends.

I might have to do a search for a POI file for police stations :)

I think rhockin1 should stick to his job of picking up the garbage and not worry what policemen do.

I would think that painting your tag would make it look funny at night and invite a nice conversation with a police.

I am pretty sure it is illegal to alter your tag in any way. On one of my bikes, I have cut my tag to make is smaller to fit a custom bracket (MD motorcycle tags are bigger than most other States). Cops know this is illegal but unless you are being stupid typically don't care.

I can't believe you actually did that just to avoid red light cameras.I think you have some fun and some tension of getting ticket while doing this.

Near my house we have tons of intersections that have red light camera signs yet magically there are no cameras in sight. I've only seen a few in all of sacramento, but the signs are everywhere.

when coming up to a light. I just expect it to turn red so I'll be ready.

While an excellent Idea in concept, I have seen too many of these lights fail and give people tickets for no reason, I myself have been an unfortunate victim of this "NO human Element" in deciding what's really worth a ticket and what was just a fast shift in traffic patterns, While driving City bus I approached a camera controlled intersection, it was green and I was a little behind on my route so I proceeded through the intersection, three people pulled out of a drive way in front of me because "NOBODY" wants to be behind a bus. this caused me to have to stop much sooner than I anticipated and left the back portion of my articulated bus ((The accordion looking ones )) a little way beyond the limit lines and a small bit into the intersection. I got a ticked for it from a red light camera.. and was forced to pay and take points.. Bottom line a human would have been able to make a judgment call and I would not have gotten the ticket. These lights suck.. and it's been proven time and time again they make mistakes.

Spray protection paint or repainting your license plate.
Humbug, it will not work.

Mkhurley, b/s on repainting your license plate (in some states it is illegal).
The flash form the cameras lights up the vehicle same as your personal camera at night.
Could be the cameras are reset around 3:00 am and you got a freebee.
Have you ever seen a photo taken at night by a red light camera? It lights up the vehicle and the driver same as a day shot. In fact, many of the photos the driver appears to be saying OMG or worst.
WAY’S to beat a red light camera…

1 – Don’t run the red light.
2 – Don’t try to beat the yellow light.
3 – If there is a camera at the intersection come to a complete stop before you make that right hand turn.

Red light camera tickets are almost double the fine compared to been stop by a Law Enforcement Officer for the same offence.

Have you notice when a Black and White patrol vehicle with red lights and siren on the driver slows down or almost comes to a stop before going thru a red light? He or she will be sure the intersection is clear before going thru. So, why would other driver try to beat a red light?

Joemac

You may not think there is no difference, and just maybe it would be hard to see your paint job during the day, However your plan to have a tag that does not reflect for the camera at night also doesn't reflect for the officers eye sitting behind you at a traffic light if you decided to stop in the first place.

Good luck with that.

Bob

Eventhough I never tried the spray myself, I do have friends who swear by it.

these camera lights are popping up everywhere. i understand putting them in major intersections but i see them in small intersections too.

In Calgary, we have more red light camera boxs than we do cameras. They do this so you won't know where the cameras are. They move them around the city to keep you guessing.

ohwogo nuvi 750

They will swear when they get the ticket and you can count on that. The spray does not work and the plastic cover over the plate just keeps it clean.

ohwogo nuvi 750

We're "lucky" in Tucson. Our four (and soon to grow in number) Red Light Cameras are a combination of *video* and still cameras. There is a person reviewing the video to determine if you make it past the line before the light turns red. The still grabs the front (face of the driver) and the rear for the plate for the ticket, but since someone is looking at the video, they can also get you for no seat beat... They apparently also have radar in them as they can also issue tickets for speeding...

The shape of things to come...

We have them in all sorts of intersections, but it seems that they are in the places with the most serious accidents occuring frequently.

Honestly, though, there are some intersections that are notorious for people running red lights and a few people die or are mamed at them each year in my area. Not sure how these got overlooked. Intersting stance for me, because I've been first in line at some of them and witnessed the carnage first hand while praying they wouldn't spin and hit me (and of course, that other people wouldn't get involved too). We're talking running a light that's been red for more than 3 seconds.

Unfortunately, the camera system has many flaws that may never be resolved fully. Citizens shouldn't have to pay for these mistakes, but we do.

Look up this group for protecting your rights.

http://www.motorists.org/

All your points are INVALID here, the red light camera's picture from the passenger side rear of the vehicle, seeing the driver from that angle is IMPOSSIBLE, but good try. Yes I have seen a night time red light camera photo, I got one, the truck I was driving was barely visible, the tag and the reflective lettering (said DAKOTA) on the back were very clear though.

It's not trying to beat a red light when they have set the yellow light time so low it is impossible to stop in time. Thats called revenue generation.

But you have a good day....officer.

10-4 on the good day.

As Red Cameras go. I think it depends on where you live. The Big City or a Large County maybe even in a Township.
It would depend on the type of cameras the council want to spend the taxpayer’s money for.
In our City and the surrounding cities, the red cameras take both the front and rear of a vehicle. This is to I. D. the driver and record the license plate number. In the greater Los Angele area, so many drivers have problem keeping their front license plate on the vehicle.
You know the loose screws; my plate must have falling off. The other good is, I was not driving my car that day. I loaned it to a friend.

joemac

Yeah if you try that here they make you sign something telling who it was driving the vehicle, then they go after them, that person claims they weren't it comes back to you, worse if I remember correctly.

Not sure how it is where you live, but here in AZ you don't have to tell the cops anything, just show that it is not you. Now they can try to persuade you, but I believe the 5th amendment comes into play there. Had a friend who was clearly in the passenger seat, her husband was driving got caught by a camera and she just went in and said, see it's not me. This man was driving me home from a party where I had too much to drink. I don't know who he is. They tried to persuade her, but when it come to it, the cops can't make you tell them anything, or sign anything.

red light camera's are there just to get the cities extra $$$. Here in Springfield they claim it reduces accidents and reduces insurance. I have not seen any reduction on my insurance and sure in the heck have not seen any reduced accidents. I have seen an increase in city funding however

Not sure how MD is doing it, but I didn't feel like paying a lawyer to fight it out so they'll just keep getting away with it I guess.

Red Light Cameras were installed in our community to help reduce the tremendous problem of red light runners. Over the past year we have seen a reduction in "t-bone" accidents, no increase in "rear-end" accidents and a dramatic reduction in people running redlights at those intersections. The city is very, very conservative on issuing tickets. In fact, the company that provides the cameras (ATS) complained we were not issuing enough tickets and decreasing their revenue.

The city interest was safety so we modified the contract to ensure their costs were covered and, if all goes well and people stop running the red lights and creating a safety problem, our revenue from these devices will continue to drop to Zero.

Could they be used for revenue, absolutely. But the evidence is clear, if you don't run a red light, you don't create a safety problem for some unsuspecting soul and you don't get a ticket.

Stop complaining about the technology and simply stop running red lights!

(By the way, unless you totally block the license plate, the cameras see them just fine, day or night.)

I'm all for safety, and as far as I am concerned they should take the license away from people who run red lights intentionaly.

My personal issue is with cities who first set up too many trafic lights at every junction and later setting up red light cameras at the VERY minor junctions where very little risk exists even if someone accidently fails to notice there is a light.
To me, this sends the message: we're here to get you.

If no one gets hurt, then who is the victim?

I regularly listen to a Milwaukee radio station, and the DJ's were just talking about that last week. An overwhelming number of people called in on the question - some for, some against.

The question: "I drive to work (or home) in the middle of the night. There are no other cars on the road and I always come up to a red light. Is it alright for me to go through the light after I stop and look both ways to make sure there's no one coming?"

I was amazed at the number of people that called in and said it's absolutely alright, as a matter of fact - they do it too. It gets funnier though - a couple of people called in to say that the light is merely a suggestion to stop - in the middle of the night. Sort of like a stop sign - stop, look, and go.

Of course, many others called in to say that stop means stop, and at a light, you wait until it says go.

(Good thing I don't drive in Milwaukee in the middle of the night.)

Well big brother sure likes alot of you folks, thats obvious.

Bunk
If your city is not writing tickets ATS will pull the equipment, at 60-90 grand a camera they don't play, those cameras will be gone long before zero tickets.
Tell me you don't have the redlight camera POI loaded,you say no? then I'll say why are you in this thread then? Know these are revenue enhancement cameras.

Actually, the contract is written that even if there are NO tickets written, the contractor gets paid a minimum amount to guarantee they recover their costs and make a profit. They can not pull the equipment unless contracts are re-written, nor would they want to.

Don't disagree in some areas they are used for revenue. However, if eveyone obeyed the law, and the revenue when down, and safety went up, how bad would that be?

For all the whiners complaining it's just a money making trick, I think you have found an answer!
Don't break any traffic laws, and you won't pay any fines. That will really mess up the local budget, and when no one breaks any traffic laws any more the cameras can come down, and we will all live happily ever after.

Anyone thinking it's OK to run a Red Light whether its 3am or any other time is Very Stupid. The person that thinks it's ok because he "thinks" he can see down the road and that he has been rear ended by a drunk driver is a total idiot. There isn't anyone that has had an accident thought they would have an accident when it happenned. Just because you were lucky when someone rear ended you doesnt make it OK to run red lights. By the way, my wife and I were rear ended at a light and now for the past 20 years she has never recovered after 5 lung surgeries and 2 spinal cord surgeries she still has unlimited problems. It only takes once. Be safe, will that extra few seconds you "might" save running a red light be worth the pain you can have the rest of your life? I THINK NOT.

WarrenP Garmin c340 "Stupid is as Stupid does"