Seattle’s Traffic Cameras - Capturing Red Light Infringements

For drivers within the city of Seattle, Washington, the ‘long arm of the law’ is a little longer than it is in most other areas. This is so because of the presence of traffic cameras which are able to capture red light infringements. As such, whether or not a law enforcement officer was in the vicinity when a driver broke the red light, there is no getting away from paying the penalty.

The traffic cameras, which were installed by the Seattle Municipal Council, in an effort to stem the number of accidents that occur as a result of red light violations, are automated, and have been placed at strategic intersections. The traffic cameras operate by taking two digital photos of vehicles sensed to have entered the intersection after the light has turned red. These photos serve as documented evidence of the violation, and contain proof of the license plate number, as well as information detailing the date and time of the offense and the length of time the light had been red before the vehicle was sensed in the intersection. Video footage of the violation is also made available.

It is important to note that blatant disregard for the red light is not the only infraction recorded by these traffic cameras. Those drivers who fail to bring their cars to a complete stop before making a right turn at a red light will also find traffic citations in their mailboxes, as according to the city’s council, this failure has also caused a number of accidents in the past. As such, the traffic cameras have been programmed to capture offenders of this nature as well.

Offenses captured by the red light cameras are carefully reviewed by law enforcement officials, and then a traffic citation is issued to the owner of the vehicle. If the vehicle owner maintains that he or she was not operating the vehicle at the time that the red light was broken, then he or she has to give a sworn statement, under oath, and may be asked to provide testimony in court. For those who wish to contest the citation, copies of the photos are provided and they may view footage of the incident online. However, with a system as detailed as this, it is very hard to prove innocence, and might be impossible without the services of a competent lawyer.