Denver Collects Fines On Drivers Who Stop At Red Lights

[The Northerner]

DENVER (CBS4) – The city of Denver is bringing in thousands of dollars in fines every year by ticketing people who stop at red lights. They are ticketed because their tire goes over the white line that marks where the vehicle should stop.

The red light cameras at various intersections in the city will flash and the driver will be sent a $75 citation if the vehicle goes over the white line, even if the driver stops for the light.

“They are stealing money. Who has extra money to pay?” asked one driver.

“I think this is an injustice, it’s just completely unfair,” said another.

Read more: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/11/03/denver-collects-fines-on-drivers-who-stop-at-red-lights/

[NV Whino]

1. They would prefer that the driver go through the light

rather than trying to stop?

[FiveGoodMen]

2. "Protect and Serve" has mutated into "Intimidate, Extort, and Prey Upon"

Why do we pay taxes to be treated like this?

[barbtries]

3. that's bullshit.

aargh.

[coalition_unwilling]

4. Highly regressive tax, imposed upon citizens without regard to

their ability to pay. That's one way to keep from having to tax the rich to keep the streetlights on.

[sarcasmo]

5. Revenue cameras are the worst.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. k&r

[reggie the dog]

7. they do this all over the chicago area too,

the worst part is that for someone seeing yellow and stopping just over the line will get a ticket, but if you hit the gas and pass the white line before yellow goes to red you are fine. they even go off when the white lines are covered by snow. so not only do you get a ticket if you slide a bit over the line but you have to guess where the line is. if you come up on a light that is already red and stop an inch over the line it costs you 100 to 300 dollars depending what municipality you are in. it really adds to the stress of driving. i used to try to stop at yellow lights, now when i am back in chicago i floor it every time i see yellow, as the system of fines wants us to do to avoid fines.

here in france they put in red light cameras but they only ticket you if you actually go through the intersection.

[Initech]

8. They do this in LA. Fines twice as much. Absolute bullshit!

[Robb]

9. Good. Over the white line = in the crosswalk.

The cameras are in areas of high pedestrian traffic during peak hours.

When cars and trucks have their noses in crosswalks, pedestrian traffic goes around them -- and veers into the perpendicular roadway. You want pedestrians walking in traffic, you let people stop in the crosswalk.

Stop behind the crosswalk. Not complicated.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

10. I don't see a crosswalk in that photo, only one line.

Not every redlight stops traffic at a pedestrian crossing. Not every double-lined pedestrian crosswalk is well-maintained and regularly painted so that drivers can even see the lines. While your point is a good one regarding pedestrian safety, I assume that they are enforcing the law in another 'zero-tolerance' manner, where even if there's no pedestrian traffic and a vehicle is only microns of an inch over the line, they are making every cent they can, all because we are completely defunding local governments.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

11. there is absolutely a crosswalk in that photo...

what the heck are you looking at???

sP

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

13. Not apparent

There's only one line going across that intrsevtion, not two. Look at the far side intersection and you can see wide vertical stripes indicating a pedestrian crossing, absent on our side. There's no pedestrian crossing light equipment apparent.

[Sub Atomic]

14. The thick white lines, in the same direction as traffic flow, are the crosswalk indicators here.

That's how they designate crosswalks here.

No need to get so up in arms about your lack of knowledge of Denver.

:hi:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

17. I'm used to California, I guess

But your post says "thick white lines". I see only one line going across and beneath that nearest light.

I'm up in arms? The guy I was responding to was a little rude but my post was very matter-of-fact.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

15. nope...apparent on this side as well...

hell, you can even see where the sidewalk is cut into a wheeled access for people crossing...

sP

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

20. I don't see two lines going across the nearest stopping

It looks to me like the roadway has been heavily repaired and they might have put blacktop over one of the lines. In the latter case, it would hardly be fair to drivers to anticipate where a pedestrian crossing might have been and is another reason why a zero tolerance policy makes no sense. Look at the two other intersections in the photo, with vertival bars where pedestrians walk. You can't find them in the nearest stopping point of the photo.

[Robb]

18. It's a crosswalk. It's 6th and Lincoln, heading east.

The dotted line on the right heads onto Speer.

[librechik]

21. yes indeed--the crosswalk is indicated by the shorter white lines

which extend beyond the broad white line the driver has crossed.

[Rainbowreflect]

16. Thank you! That was my thought as well.

I walk a lot and it really pisses me off when cars (usually SUVs) pull into the cross walk so I have to walk around them. Stop where you are suppose to stop and there won't be a problem.

[justiceischeap]

12. When I took my test to get my license oh so many years ago

I do recall the booklet stating that going over the lines was an offense. The fact that Denver hasn't let folks know in some way that they are actually going to enforce a law that's probably already on the books sucks but if the driver is breaking the law they can't get outraged when they get a ticket just because they got caught by a camera instead of a real live cop.

[FloriTexan]

19. At least you have painted lines on the street...

:sarcasm: In Dallas, they haven't restriped a lot of roads in years. In many places the tar lines or grooves in the road are all you have. I got a ticket for what I thoughw as allegedly rolling through a stop sign. When I went to pay it, I realized it was for not stopping at the designated line. The next day, I realized that there is no painted line.