Red light cameras catch more than 3,400

By Danielle Novy/bcnews@trcle.com

BURLESON July 18, 2008 06:31 pm

— Nearly 3,500 traffic violations have been issued in Burleson thanks to the red-light camera system installed three and a half months ago.
Most area residents are happy with the cameras, deeming them an appropriate safety measure, said Sgt. Randy Crum with the Burleson Police Department.
“I’ve received positive feedback even from people who have received notices,” he said.
The seven cameras located along Wilshire Boulevard monitor northbound and southbound traffic, Crum said. Violations are issued to those caught either running a red light while going straight or failing to stop before making a right turn on red. About 60 percent of violations issued are right-turn-on-red notices; 40 percent are straight-through notices.
“This is not the same as getting a ticket from a police officer,” he said. “It doesn’t affect your driving record or your insurance.”
Crum said he wants to end misconceptions about the cameras.
Because all possible violations are reviewed by multiple people — officials from the camera company and city court marshals — before they are mailed to the owner of the vehicle, cases believed to be “too close to call” are weeded out, Crum said.
“Once they — American Traffic Solutions and the city court marshals — OK it, then the paper is sent out to the vehicle owner,” he said. “The cost is $75 per violation, and they get 30 days to pay.”
Many drivers caught on film never receive notices in the mail becasue of the two-tiered review process, he said.
Crum said that of the 3,892 right-turn-on-red violations reviewed, 54 percent were issued citations, and the remaining 46 percent were rejected because they were slow-roll turns.
The reviewers try to look at each scenario from the eyes of a police officer, Crum said. They don’t issue violations in cases when a police officer usually wouldn’t issue a ticket.
“If there are people out there who think this is just a way to generate revenue, it’s not,” he said. “The reviewers reject a lot of the cases.”
Those who receive notices of violation in the mail can view themselves on the Web site www.violationinfo.com and decide whether to pay the fine or contest the violation. Drivers have 30 days to act, and about 100 people have contested their notices so far, he said.
At the end of the year, the system’s profits will be split equally between the city and area trauma centers, Crum said.
Measuring the cameras’ success is difficult this early on, he said.
“We need a year’s worth of data before we can start making statements,” he said.