April 22, 2019
Dear editor;
I have heard the divided opinions about red light photo enforcement. I am opposed and have moved to the point of camera court in the ticket process. What I observed at the Aurora Police Branch Court concerned me greatly. I hope to educate others in avoidance of this entire problem. One needs to understand a little more than what drivers education teaches. It is and always will be against the law to drive anywhere one does not have the right-of-way.
Law enforcement can and will write traffic tickets for driving into a red light. But there is more to it. The same Statute giving legal right to enforce with RedLight program states the legal requirement for automated traffic signals to comply with the law. The law boils down to accepted industry standards. Aurora uses the rule-of-thumb option: One second on yellow for every 10 mph speed limit. Commons and East New York Street, for example, is a 4.5 second yellow light. It is 45 miles per hour and has a downgrade. Some engineering standards are more specific and would provide 5.1 seconds, but that is really splitting hairs. We want consistency and for drivers to expect and count on functioning traffic lights.
What I found disturbing and I share, is this: There were a handful of RedTicket holders in Camera Court who had video violations showing malfunctioning lights such as myself March 26 Eola Road and East New York had only a one second to two seconds yellow light. I reported it, and by April 3 both red light intersections had been corrected. No one received closure from the attorney supervising and judging. Turning right without completely stopping has no defense; bad weather is not a defense. The judge said: “The State finds you liable. You will hear from me in a few days. You can either pay it or decide not to pay.”
To the folks just like me who had defensible positions, although no one realized they are entitled to yellow change interval of certain appropriate length, he said, “you will hear from us in a few days.” Period. I saw one woman stammering, confused, “but you can see the signal was malfunctioning!” What I have is the online status of “contest by mail, due May 2.” I have already decided it is not prudent or fair to mail in my eight pages of legal-work product.
The attorney said he was unfamiliar with the law, so it is fair for him to do his own work. Mailed in defenses can and are denied. The attorney is just hired by the Aurora city government. If he does not make the decision, there would be no legal record and he is free and clear of accountability to either Attorney Registration & Discipline Committee, or Illinois Bar Association.
What is fair would be if tickets are more carefully vetted by a live person. The yellow light needs to be in conformance and the traffic signal should be visible both from the main light and the smaller pedestrian lamps. All disputes such as mine ought to be decided by the attorney in court.
There would be no reason to drag it out. We want to have this process conform to law and be humane. We could save and eliminate all this hardship by getting rid of Red Light Photo Enforcement. Who wants to drive the unfriendly streets here?
Traffic along East New York Street has been declining over the years according to stats.
Mary Goetsch
Aurora