Driver to Sue NYC Red Light Camera
11 years
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New York Post Article
Drivers to sue city over red-light cam tickets
By JENNIFER FERMINO and JENNIFER BAIN
Last Updated: 2:12 AM, December 4, 2012
Posted: 1:00 AM, December 4, 2012
The city’s red-light camera program is nothing short of highway robbery, a lawsuit will claim.
Three motorists who were slapped with $50 red-light camera tickets are filing a class-action suit against the city, arguing that they were nabbed by too-short yellow lights, The Post has learned.
The motorists want the city to refund every improperly imposed fine, said lawyer Joseph Santoli.
The suit will be filed tomorrow in Manhattan Supreme Court, he said.
“We want the red-light camera program shut down,” Santoli said of the cameras, which are responsible for more than 6 million tickets since 1998.
Countless drivers should never have been ticketed because some intersections with cameras have yellow lights that last shorter than three seconds, which is required under federal guidelines, the suit says.
The suit cites an AAA study, first reported in The Post in October, that found four red-light camera intersections that had yellow lights that lasted only 2.53 to 2.84 seconds.
The city disputes the findings.
Richard Marks, one of the plaintiff, claims that he had to slam on his brakes to avoid going through a red light that changed very quickly from yellow in 2010.
He still got a ticket because his car was one foot inside the intersection of Richmond and West Caswell avenues on Staten Island.
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As well they should! AND the
As well they should!
AND the courts should assess big penalties on those companies who "adjust" their yellow lights to increase revenue.
The city should also be penalized for it's poor oversight.
No one objects to stopping serious speeders, BUT this has become much more that that - a seemingly unending source of new revenue.
It must be stopped when done illegally.
I'll get off my high horse now!
Fred
Wouldn't expect much from this
Although entertaining, I wouldn't expect much to come from this. I would be surprised if even a refund were issued for the tickets for the three motorists.
Highway robbery, sure.
Too-short yellow lights, likely.
Refund, highly unlikely.
Ending red light camera program, not a chance.
Good luck
I hope they are successful, but it likely will be an uphill battle given the amounts of money involved.
Put it to the FLOOR!!!
It's especially unfair (in any state) when the yellow light timing is inconsistent from one light to another. You should be able to expect the same thing from every signal so you can make a sound decision and/or judgment.
Another thing: this type of deception actually -encourages- a driver to FLOOR the gas and FLY through the intersection to beat the yellow, while poor Grandma who is going "putt putt" through the intersection at 10 miles an hour could theoretically go from green to yellow to red and not make it all the way through! Some intersections in my town are a HUGE way across! THAT'S the argument the lawyers should use!
"Primum Non Nocere" 2595LMT Clear Channel and Navteq Traffic
Good luck fighting city hall
Not likely to prevail.
NYC Lawsuit Against RLC
Hope you win!!!!!!
Alan-Garmin c340
Except...
Another thing: this type of deception actually -encourages- a driver to FLOOR the gas and FLY through the intersection to beat the yellow, while poor Grandma who is going "putt putt" through the intersection at 10 miles an hour could theoretically go from green to yellow to red and not make it all the way through! Some intersections in my town are a HUGE way across! THAT'S the argument the lawyers should use!
In NYS at least, as long as you have entered the intersection (passed the stop line) before the light turns red, you are permitted to continue through without penalty. There is no incentive to "fly" through the intersection to get to the other side before the light turns red.
The Moose Is Loose! nuvi 760
More Power Scotty!
Another thing: this type of deception actually -encourages- a driver to FLOOR the gas and FLY through the intersection to beat the yellow, while poor Grandma who is going "putt putt" through the intersection at 10 miles an hour could theoretically go from green to yellow to red and not make it all the way through! Some intersections in my town are a HUGE way across! THAT'S the argument the lawyers should use!
In NYS at least, as long as you have entered the intersection (passed the stop line) before the light turns red, you are permitted to continue through without penalty. There is no incentive to "fly" through the intersection to get to the other side before the light turns red.
That's nice, but how many people actually know that?? Especially the ones from out of state?
"Primum Non Nocere" 2595LMT Clear Channel and Navteq Traffic
We should just get rid of
We should just get rid of the yellow lights and be done with the whole issue.
Nuvi 3790LMT, Nuvi 760 Lifetime map, Lifetime NavTraffic, Garmin E-Trex Legend Just because "Everyone" drives badly does not mean you have to.
just go
We should just get rid of the yellow lights and be done with the whole issue.
Just go from green to red like we do from red to green?
Illiterate? Write for free help.
IIRC
Another thing: this type of deception actually -encourages- a driver to FLOOR the gas and FLY through the intersection to beat the yellow, while poor Grandma who is going "putt putt" through the intersection at 10 miles an hour could theoretically go from green to yellow to red and not make it all the way through! Some intersections in my town are a HUGE way across! THAT'S the argument the lawyers should use!
In NYS at least, as long as you have entered the intersection (passed the stop line) before the light turns red, you are permitted to continue through without penalty. There is no incentive to "fly" through the intersection to get to the other side before the light turns red.
IIRC (haven't looked at VTL lately), you might even be required to proceed all the way through the intersection once you have entered it (unless unsafe to do so). But don't quote me on this - I'm not sure. Now where did I put my VTL . . .?
Before There Was Yellow
We should just get rid of the yellow lights and be done with the whole issue.
Amazingly enough, there are still a (very) few two-phase lights still in operation. Green - Green & Red - Red. No yellow. If they made a comeback, I'd rank them about equal with traffic circles as accident causers.