5 Ways to Beat Automated Traffic Cameras

General information, not legal advice. This post describes how traffic stops, accidents and traffic court work in general. Every case turns on its own facts, and reading this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your own ticket, call The Traffic Ticket Attorneys at (310) 455-6810 for a free consultation.

Technology is making our lives more comfortable and convenient, but it’s also presenting some new and interesting problems. For example, it used to be that if you violated a traffic law, a police officer needed to witness the violation for you to get a ticket. Today, all the local police need is an automated traffic camera.

There has been some controversy surrounding automated traffic cameras, to be sure; one judge in San Diego, for example, threw out over 300 cases involving one traffic camera. Citizens groups in Arizona have protested these devices, and sought to get them banned from use.

All that said, it doesn’t seem likely that automated traffic cameras are going away anytime soon. That means you need to be prepared for when one of them gets you in its sights.

Here are some tactics you can try in order to beat a ticket issued because of a traffic camera:

1. Don’t violate traffic laws to begin with. Running a red light and speeding are the most common violations captured by automated traffic cameras. If you don’t want to face an infraction, don’t commit one. That being said, the technology isn’t perfect. There are times when you may well be following the law, yet an automated traffic camera malfunctions and issues you a ticket anyways. That’s part of the problem, and one of the most common reasons that many citizens are opposed to the technology.
2. Explore legal options. Automated traffic camera results are being challenged in court on a regular basis. To be sure, it’s an uphill fight; for every case that’s been successfully challenged, there are hundreds that have not. It doesn’t hurt to talk to an attorney, of course, as there may be special circumstances that make your case more likely to succeed.
3. Obscure your identity. One of the basic principles behind automated traffic cameras is that they must be able to identify the driver. After all, if you’re not driving your car, you can’t get a ticket. There are a variety of tactics people have used to try to do this, such as using clothing to obscure your identity when you drive. These measures have been met with varying degrees of success; if the image captured by the camera looks like you in any way at all, there’s a good chance you’re going to have to pay the ticket.
4. Talk to your legislators. The movement against automated traffic cameras is gaining ground in some states. While some legislators are hesitant to go against the wishes of law enforcement in this area, others are willing to listen. While talking to your representatives may not get you out of the ticket you’re facing right now, over time it could lead to the removal of automated traffic cameras and reduce your risk over the long run.
5. Be ready for a fight. If you’re serious about beating a ticket, realize that you might have to take it all the way. It might mean paying more in legal fees than the ticket, and it might mean lots of time and energy. If the violation is a severe one, however, it might still be worth it. Know how far you’re willing to go before you start to fight.

The odds are stacked against you beating a ticket, but if you follow some of these steps you just might be able to overcome those odds.

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