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Motorists Seeing Red Over Red Light Cameras
NEW CARROLLTON,, Md. - The town of New Carrollton's new mobile red light cameras are snapping up pictures like the paparazzi and motorists are calling the cameras out.
Danielle King got two tickets and says she's been wrongly accused. "I got caught by one up there," says King referring to the cameras along route 450.
Motorists complain they are being wrongly accused. King says," I think they need to go away. I just think they are unfair. They need to go away."
Fox 5 photographers stood at one intersection near 85th Avenue
and caught the camera popping off like popcorn. Each ticket is a 75
dollar citation. One motorist shared his ticket.
He got cited in his white van, but a closer look at the
ticket shows the vehicle is at a complete stop. Complaints are
pouring in.
AAA Mid-Atlantic's John Townsend says it appears drivers are getting ticketed; not for running the red light, but for stopping over the white line.
Townsend blasted the camera saying, "This is the most egregiousone we've seen. It is so beyond the pale. It not only violated thespirit of the law it violates the letter of the law. It may beillegal in the state of Maryland. "
During a short period, the cameras flashed continually and wentoff when cars were at a complete stop. We asked one motorist, "Didyou go past the red light?" The unidentified driver said, "No, Ididn't. I'm still stopped here at the red light. If I went throughthen you wouldn't be talking to me now. The camera went off. So amI going to get a ticket? Oh no. "
Townsend said, "These people legally stopped for a red light,but they ventured into this box and they consider that technicallyto be red light running and it's not. It smacks of I got you; agame just for money."
As the camera snapped another picture, we asked anothermotorist, "Do you realize you just got a red light ticket?" The unidentified woman said, "You've got to be kidding. You arekidding. Did you pass the red light? No!"
Some say it's not just a camera, but a cash cow--snapping upphotos of unsuspecting motorists.
Townsend said many motorists don't even contest the tickets,in fact one woman confirmed that saying; "if I got it I wouldn'tfight it no. If the camera is set to do it that way I just have topay the ticket.
Townsend admits he's one of those recently ticketed, but hefought it.
Fox 5 made an effort to talk with the New Carrollton PoliceDepartment and the city about the issue.
The chief said he'll answer questions during officehours.