• 26
  • August
    2011

Red light cameras: In many states and large cities they have been around for years, so surely the initial frustration motorists had with the automated ticket generators has worn off, right?

Not so, according to a recent article in the New York Times. In Maryland, a camera recorded a man stomping out of the woods with a hammer and shotgun, toward a speed camera enforcement vehicle on the roadside. The dramatic footage revealed the man smashing the windshield of the speed enforcement vehicle with the hammer.

While everyone may not feel quite as homicidal toward the ticket-generating cameras as the man from Maryland, there is no question that automated speed and red light cameras can be a definite nuisance to out-of-state drivers, especially business travelers, tourists and interstate truckers.

When you receive a camera-generated ticket in the mail from New York, and you don't live in the area, it is difficult to feel like you even have a chance at fighting the ticket. For many, the expense of traveling back to the area in which you received the ticket would outweigh the cost of the actual ticket. In fact, according to the New York Times article, most business travelers pay the tickets because it is not reasonable for them to return to fight the charges.

But that does not have to be the case. The good news is that, under most circumstances in New York state, an attorney can actually appear in traffic court and fight the ticket on your behalf. Now, you may think, "well, hiring an attorney is going to cost me more than simply paying the fine for this ticket."

But that is also not always true. The cost of a traffic ticket to a driver is not always just the fine. Depending on your driving record, a conviction for a traffic violation could result in increased insurance rates and points added to your driving record -- which, in many states can result in driver's license suspension or threaten your commercial driver's license.

The point is, when you receive a camera-generated ticket in the mail, you do have options. Carefully consider those options before you write out a check and drop it in the mail.

Related Resource: Many Motorists Enraged by Camera-Issued Tickets