Red light camera ticket
We get many questions about what to do with a red light camera ticket. Running a red light is a serious offence. For this reason, getting a red light ticket in the mail is worrisome to most people. Many people ask about their next steps. They know that under the Highway Traffic Act, running a red light entails three demerit points. Needless to say, it can be detrimental to driving insurance premiums. And, when the license plate is on a photo, it can seem like the traffic ticket is impossible to fight. Well, in many ways, it is. However, most of the time, we don’t recommend fighting a red light camera ticket in the first place. Here’s why:
1. The red light camera does not see the driver
The camera sees your car cross the intersection, but it doesn’t know who’s driving.
The authorities simply send a red light camera ticket to the address of the license plate owner. However, what if the owner did not drive the car on that day?
2. there is no record for this reason
Since the camera doesn’t know who the driver was, no charge goes into any single driving record. Therefore, even if you were, in fact, the one driving, no demerit points or record of the offence will appear on your driver’s abstract.
3. no ramifications if there is no record
This means that apart from the fine, a red light camera ticket has no ramifications for your future driving and insurance.
Given such fairly limited consequences, fighting this traffic ticket is not usually cost-effective. Instead, we usually recommend requesting a meeting with prosecutors and ask about the reduction of the fine. This is possible if you can provide some evidence about your difficult financial situation.
So, of course, red light camera tickets are unpleasant, but, really, their consequences are limited. Paying the fine is often the easiest.
However, remember that the above doesn’t apply if you were pulled over for the same offence by a police officer. The officer can definitely tell who the driver is! If you don’t request a trial in cases where you dealt with the police, the offence can impact your driving record and insurance for years to come. Please contact us if you need help with this ticket.
