Red light horrors
 

so yeah this is my story:

Just finished picking up bryce and i'm driving home...the light ahead of me goes yellow & i'm about a block away...i shift down and brake and well if you live in here in edmonton...it was snowing pretty bad!...so yeah my car didnt stop! i'm laying on my horn while sliding into the intersection with cars coming at me..and..FLASH FLASH FLASH...

so what i'm wondering is...

1. do they all flash even if there isnt a cam in it?
2. can i fight this?
3. am i screwed?!

thanks guys!
danielle

you can try to fight it

conditions prevented you from stopping

they'll say: you were going too fast for conditions
you'll reply: you should have sanded by then. i wasn't speeding etc. etc.

you've got a valid argument but it depends on how cranky they are.

best of luck.

Fight it but don't be surprised "you were going to fast for the conditions." Then your pooched. Good Luck Danielle. :(

red means stop........hahahaha those signs kill me. CRAZY EDMONTONIANS!!!!CRAZY EDMONTONIANS!!!!


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: ;pee;

so yeah i'm screwed then eh?! i'll be like listen F$CK@Rs..where were your men to plow and sand...uh that's right! look at the pic...i'm freakin braking and sideways..arghhhh!!!


okay i feel better...

so yeah does anybody know about the fake cams? or the pretty flashy lights?!

What about them?

okay my sister told me that all the 'red light cameras' dont actually have cameras in them...is that true?!...or do they all flash with or withut a camera?!

Some 'holders' don't have anything in them. The police just rotate the cameras around the city. They might even flash but that I don't know. If it does flash, you might, stess MIGHT not get a ticket in the mail. Wait and see, I'm afraid.

I dont know if its different in Alberta, but in Manitoba flash = ticket
no matter what.

Ive fought 4 out of the 5 tickets Ive got, and won every time. :D
I have a friend whos a Magistrate with the courts and she gave me some advice on beating tickets.

- Dont plead innocent, plead guilty with an explanation.
- Try to go fight the ticket after lunch if you can.
- Stress that the road conditions were really bad.
- Be very polite, the Magistrates will sometimes make their decisions on you and not your explanation.
- Try to bring a parent or friend with you. (It makes it easier for them to believe you, if someone else does too.)
- Dress nice.

Best of luck if you have to fight the ticket.

You cant fight the red light tickets in Alberta?
I didn't know that.
If you have a good argument, you can fight them in Manitoba.
(You probably wont win though.) :D

I'm curious about the cameras in Alberta. They are really evil here in Winnipeg as for one, I know all the cameras that exist so far are real...no word yet on if they are coming out with more, but honestly I think it will be a huge cash cow so I fully expect them to. The evil part which maybe is true for all "red light" cameras which I perhaps just didn't realize is ours are also radar enabled.

My girlfriend lives right near one of the cameras and I drive by it almost daily to give her a ride home. I know to drive the posted 50KM/H, but I know there are TONS of people that don't even realize it's 50 and do 60 or just a little above....and flash flash flash goes the camera even on green. I think after all is said than done, they are going to make an absolute killing not off the red-light runners but the speeders. Is it the same way in Alberta?

Well that sucks ... Ive never seen anyting like this. Im from the states. Do alot of people get caught? ..Jon

I haven't ever heard of anybody getting a ticket from a red-light cam, although I do think it'd be an easy thing to do.

It could be that they are doing a study on it and testing it out to see if it's viable.

I know here in Vancouver, the people voted away with it. So there is no more 'photo radar'. I believe, there are only red light cameras but, that I can understand.

Some info from the Calgary Police Service on red-light cams:
http://www.gov.calgary.ab.ca/police/.../redlight.html

I got a red light ticket. $100!!
Completley my fault, I admit. :)

Re: Red light horrors
 

You may not be... have you ever noticed that when it snows or when there is a lot of crap on the road your back window needs to be cleaned every five seconds... Just think how dirty or snow covered your licence plate gets as well... I know for a fact you could not make a letter out on mine that day becuase it was caked in snow. so yours was probablly in a simular state!!

Cam

Is it just a fine for the red light camera or are there demerits involved as well? I would assume that it is just like photo radar.

If you get off with only a fine and no demerits, count yourself lucky and suck it up.

Jay

Fine, no demerits. The camera setup can usually only photograph the rear of the car, much like photo radar. They can't prove who was driving, therefore no demerits. I think there are some jurisdictions that take pics of the front of the car. That'd be useless in Alberta though, as we have no front license plates.

If Edmonton and Calgary are the same the fine is only $57 (which is a little on the low side in my opinion). Since there are no demerits this is a pretty minor thing. Chalk it up to a $57 lesson and move on.

And you might want to invest in winter tires as Richard mentioned, has saved my ass a couple of times in the past 2 winters.

Jay

The fine I got was $100 for speeding.
(Going 71 in a 60.)
It was funny cause the street I was going down was the last place I would expect a red light camera.)

Danielle, think experience, and like Richard said, I too believe the fines should be much higher! Much, much higher! I'm biased though, I was in a coma for 3 weeks, my rental car was destroyed, and I lost a lot more after I was t-boned on Stoney Plains Road and 175 street, up there in Edmonton. Let's just say, Edmonton, isn't my favorite place to be right now. So, consider, yourself lucky, I do for you and myself,...we are still alive. Bryce, be thankful.

I just sold a new Protege to someone whos previous car was totally destroyed when some moron ran a red light.
(Intentionally, not accidently)

Thanks you guys...i'm hoping that my plate was covered in snow!!! and as for the winter tires...they are the stock ones which have to be replaced anyways in spring . i guess i'll just keep my fingers crossed and keep an eye out for the good ol envelope of terror!!!

You might want to reconsider replacing those tires in the spring and do it now. The stock tires blow on ice/snow, I can't imagine what worn out ones would be like.

Jay (Who will keep his eyes open for out of control yellow p5's) :)

Jay (Who will keep his eyes open for out of control yellow p5's) :) [/B][/QUOTE]


*laffs* i have just learned to drive like a granny! ...somebody pass me my teeth! *winks*

This scares me even more. Most grannies are really shitty drivers...

What part of the city do you frequently travel in? :)

Jay

OH GOODIE!! yeah I looked the next day and our plate was covered in snow, not that would be a shame if it was when the flash went off tooo.. *evil laugh*

your in trouble no matter where you go we go EVERY WHERE *evil laugh*

red light cameras
 

I'm absolutely and positively cool with them.. even though there may be cases when you accidently run a light.. I'm willing to take the hit.. pay the price if it gets some people to actually STOP for them..

I've got winters on my p5 so I stop just fine.. but I've made the conscience decision to avoid getting rear ended by people who couldn't stop.. by 'running a red', and suck it up and pay if there was a camera twice this winter.. If they put demerits on it.. be warned people without winter booties.. my car isn't moving, and you're going to hit me :)

Both times there was nobody coming through the green.. once right in front of a cop.. I looked at him and shrugged.. waiting for the "pull over" pointing of the finger.. he nodded at me, smiled and waved me through..

Blows my mind that having appropriate tires for the season doesn't lower your insurance.. expecially after the last week or so in edmonton..

richard, given your job, you may like this one:D

http://offiz.bei.t-online.de/other/drivingschool.swf

YEAH BABY! it's been over 2 weeks and no ticket!!! woo hoo! i guess i got away with it! *smiles*...*does alittle dance*