A. Pedestrian collisions and right-angle vehicle collisions at high speeds often result from running red lights.
Studies have shown that such collisions involve more risk of serious injury
or death than other kinds of collisions. In an effort to reduce these types of accidents,
the State of Washington and the City of Seattle have adopted
laws that allow automated camera enforcement of selected traffic safety statutes and ordinances. City of Seattle
Ordinance No. 121944 authorizes the installation and operation of automated
cameras to enforce
the City's stoplight ordinances.
From a review of a video recording
by an automated traffic camera it has been determined
that, on the date and time and at the location
indicated on the front side of this notice, your vehicle was facing a steady circular
red signal when it failed to stop at a clearly marked stop line or at any other stopping point described in the ordinance. Some images may contain both a steady
red signal and a fading yellow signal. In these circumstances, the presence of the yellow signal is due to incandescence bulb afterglow; a review of the violation video will clearly
show the light to be red.
State law provides that the registered owner of a vehicle is presumed
to have operated the vehicle
at the time an infraction was detected by an automated traffic safety camera unless the registered owner overcomes the presumption by a statement,
under oath, in writing to the court or in testimony
before the court that the vehicle involved
was, at the time, stolen or in the care, custody,
or control of some person other than the registered owner.
An infraction detected through the use of an automated traffic
safety camera is a non-criminal offense for which you cannot go to jail. The penalty
for this infraction is the same amount
as the penalty for any other red light violation. However, like a parking ticket,
an infraction detected
by a traffic camera is NOT part of the violators driving record. Therefore, a finding that the infraction was committed, either by payment or after a hearing,
will not be reported
to the Department of Licensing. However,
failure to respond to a Notice of Infraction,
failure to appear for a requested
hearing, or failure to pay a penalty imposed after a hearing may also
result in non-renewal of your vehicle registration pursuant to RCW 46.16A.120.
Q. WHAT
IF THE REGISTERED OWNER
WAS NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE VIOLATION?
A. You may submit a sworn statement to that effect
to the Court to rebut
the presumption, established in RCW 46.63.075, that you were driving
the vehicle at the time of the violation. A Declaration of Non-Responsibility form can be obtained from the Court in any of the following
ways:
·
Download or print the form from the Courts
website: www.seattle.gov/courts.
·
Call the Court at 206-684-5600
·
Visit the Court
in person (1st Floor) at 600 Fifth Avenue (at James Street, downtown).
Return the completed form to the Court in person (1st floor), by fax to 206-684-8887
A. In Seattle, the fine for red-light running violations is $139. School Zone Speed violations are $237. If your payment is not received or a hearing is not set prior to the due date indicated on your notice, a $25 late fee may be added to the fine amount.
A. No. Drivers who receive photo red light citations
are cited for red light violations only
A. Your Payment Options:
·
Send a check or money order in U.S. funds, payable to the Seattle Municipal Court, for the AMOUNT DUE shown on the front. Please write your Notice # and
your license plate # on your check or money order. PLEASE DO NOT MAIL CASH.
·
Pay through the internet at www.seattle.gov/courts/ticketinformation.htm or through
our automated payment
system accessible from any touch-tone telephone at (206) 233-7000.
·
Pay in person, Monday
through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. at the Court Payment Office
on the 1st floor of the Seattle Municipal Court Building,
600 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA. A payment box is located in the front of the Seattle Municipal Court Building
for after-hours convenience.
Q. CAN I VIEW THE IMAGES OR VIDEO CLIP OF THE VIOLATION?
A. TO VIEW VIDEO AND IMAGES:
The recorded video and images
of this incident will be submitted as evidence in the municipal court proceeding
for prosecution of this violation. You may view the video and images
of this incident online at www.ViolationInfo.com. Use the Notice # and PIN printed on the front of your notice to log
in.
If you have questions, contact
Seattle Municipal
Court Customer Service at (206) 684-5600
A. TO REQUEST A
HEARING, USE THE COUPON
ON
YOUR NOTICE OF INFRACTION. YOUR HEARING
OPTIONS INCLUDE:
·
A HEARING
TO EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCES: By requesting
a mitigation hearing, you will be deemed to have committed the infraction. You may not subpoena witnesses for this hearing. You would request
a mitigation hearing
if you agree you committed the infraction but believe the circumstances may be such that the court could reduce or waive the penalty.
·
A HEARING
TO CONTEST THE INFRACTION: At a contested hearing the City has the burden
of proving by a preponderance of the
evidence that the infraction
was committed. You may
subpoena witnesses
including the officer
who issued this Notice of Infraction. If you request
a contested hearing
the Court will schedule
a pre-hearing conference, which you may waive by using the form attached to the Notice
of hearing that the Court will send you.
A. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety red light running is a leading cause of urban crashes and often causes injury and death. Cities install the system to improve public safety by deterring red light running.
A.
Each intersection is outfitted with a high resolution high speed digital
camera. The cameras are activated
by sensors which are located
at the intersection. The cameras
are only activated
when a vehicle is detected by the sensors after the light has turned red. The camera takes two digital
photos and a short video clip which documents
the violation. The program operates
24 hours a day seven days a week and operates in all weather conditions. The system is only activated
when a vehicle runs a red light and all intersections with red light cameras are clearly marked. The Seattle Police Department reviews every violation before the citation
is issued. Citations contain images of the
violation vehicle before it enters the intersection, while it is in the
intersection, and the license plate.
Q. ARE RED LIGHT CAMERAS EFFECTIVE?
A. Yes. Red light cameras have been proven to be effective in reducing
red light violations and right-angle crashes. Cities
using these systems consistently report
safer roads with fewer intersections collisions.
A. No. Citations are only issued when a vehicle
enters the intersection AFTER the light
has turned red. If you enter the intersection on a green or yellow
light you will not be photographed by the camera system.
A.
Yes, locations will be announced
and listed in the local newspaper, on the city website, and in the city newsletter. The locations are also listed below.
EB
Denny Way @ Fairview Ave
WB
Denny Way @ Fairview Ave
NB
Rainier Ave S @ S Orcas St
SB
Rainier Ave S @ S Orcas St
EB
NE 45th St @ Roosevelt Way NE
EB
Spring @ 5th
NB
9th Ave @ James St
NB
Broadway @ E Olive Way
EB
E Olive Way (West) @ Broadway
EB
S Cloverdale St @ 14th Ave S
NB
Rainier Ave S @ S Massachusetts St
EB
NW Market St @ 15th Ave NW
WB
NW Market St @ 15th Ave NW
SB
15th Ave NW @ NW 80th
SB
23rd Ave E @ E John St
SB
35th Ave SW @ SW Thistle St
SB
6th Ave @ James St
NB
Aurora Ave N @ N 85th St
SB
Boren Ave @ James St
EB
NE 80th St @ 5th Ave NE
SB
Stone Way N @ N 40th St
WB
SW Avalon Way @ 35th Ave SW
NB
MLK JR Way S @ McClellan St
SB
MLK JR Way S @ McClellan St
WB
S McClellan St @ MLK JR Way S
NB
MLK JR Way S @ S Othello St
WB
S Othello St @ MLK JR Way S
NB
Boren Ave @ Pike St
WB
Pike St @ Boren Ave
NB
6th Ave @ University St
NB
11th Ave NE @ NE 45th St
A. Olympic View Elementary School
Gatewood Elementary School
Broadview-Thomson
Elementary School
Thurgood
Marshall Elementary School
Holy
Family Elementary School
Roxhill Elementary School
Dearborn
Park Elementary School
Bailey
Gatzert Elementary School
Eckstein
Middle School
Boren STEM
Montlake Elementary School
Mercer Middle School
Northgate Elementary School
Rainer View Elementary School
AUTOMATED RED LIGHT PHOTO ENFORCEMENT
FACT SHEET
According to 2002 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 6.3 million reported crashes occurred on America's roadways. According to the Department of Transportation, approximately 43% of motor vehicle crashes occur at intersections or are intersection-related. Red light running is
the leading cause of
urban crashes.
Automated red light running photo-enforcement systems, also known as red light cameras, can help communities enforce traffic laws and prevent dangerous traffic signal violations. Red light cameras are connected to traffic signals and to sensors buried in or above the pavement
at the crosswalk
or stop line. The cameras are triggered by vehicles passing over the sensors after the signal has turned
red. Two photographs of the violation are taken, one when the vehicle enters the intersection and the other while it is in the intersection. In most localities with the systems, citations are mailed to the registered owner of the car who is able to challenge
the citation if he or she
was not the driver at the time of the violation.
RED
LIGHT RUNNING FACTS
In 2002, more than 1.8 million intersection crashes occurred throughout the nation. Of those, about 219,000 are
due to red light running -- resulting
in about 1,000
deaths and 181,000
injuries. (Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety, IIHS, and Federal Highway Administration, FHWA, 2003)
A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that at a busy intersection in Virginia, a motorist
ran a red light every 20 minutes.
During peak commuting times red light running
was more frequent. (2003)
According to a survey conducted
by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the American Trauma Society, two out of three Americans see someone running a red light at least a few times a week and,
at most, once a day. (1998)
One in three Americans
knows someone who has been injured or killed in a red light running crash. (FHWA,
2002)
RED
LIGHT CAMERA SYSTEM FACTS
The objectives of red light cameras are to stop dangerous driving behaviors, reduce crashes, save lives, prevent injuries,
lower health care costs and respond to community concerns.
Significant citywide crash reductions have followed the introduction of red light cameras in Oxnard, California. Front-into-side crashes at intersections with traffic signals, the collision type most closely associated with red light running, fell 32%. There were 68% fewer
front-into-side crashes involving injuries. (IIHS, 2003)
The Road Traffic Authority in Australia reported a 32% decrease in right-angle collisions and a 10% reduction in injuries after red
light cameras were installed in
Victoria in 1983. (IIHS,
2003)
In Fairfax, Virginia after one year of camera enforcement, violations were reduced by about 40%. Additionally,
84% of its residents support the use
of red light cameras. (IIHS, 2003)
Red light cameras are being used to enforce traffic laws in more than 70 U.S. communities. Only five states
and the District
of Columbia have statewide red light camera laws. In other states, there are laws that authorize camera use in specific areas or under specific circumstances. (IIHS, 2003)
Photographic detection devices, such as red light cameras, are already being used extensively around the globe. Other countries
currently using photographic detection devices include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa,
Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United
Kingdom. (IIHS, 2003)
The public is overwhelmingly in support of strong action against red light running. Three Lou Harris public opinion polls
commissioned by Advocates in 1998, 1999 and 2001 found consistently that two-thirds of the public supported state adoption
of red light running
photo- enforcement.
A national poll conducted on behalf of the National
Campaign to Stop Red Light Running in 2000 revealed
that 6 out of 10 Americans supported the use of red light cameras in their cities.
An April 2001 survey of 10 cities by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that opinions about red light camera use are favorable in communities both with (between 84 - 77%) and without
(between 82 - 72%) programs.
Some argue that red light cameras
violate a motorist's privacy rights, but they are less invasive and less subjective than traditional law enforcement methods. Cameras photograph only the vehicles
license plate or the face of the driver,
depending on a state's law, whereas a ticketing
officer can see inside the vehicle. With the cameras, there is no subjectivity or privacy violation because whoever crosses the
intersection after the light turns red
will receive a citation.
By obtaining a driver license, an individual agrees to abide by certain rules, one of which is to obey traffic
signals. The use of cameras is just one way to enforce
this law and is a necessary supplement to ongoing police
enforcement.