Texas
First LA, Now Houston…No More Red Light Camera Enforcement Thursday, August 25th, 2011
Houston is the most recent city to say no to red-light camera enforcement, ending it’s program yesterday.
Opponents of the red-light cameras claim they did not make intersections more safe, were an invasion of privacy and that this is the beginning of a nationwide trend to abandon the devices.
Supporters claim that these cameras do indeed save lives and that more than 500 municipalities, including Washington DC and New York, are still successfully employing camera programs.
Houston residents voted nine months ago to end the camera enforcement program. After months of legal challenges to this vote, the Houston City Council voted to end the program, even though cancellation could cost the city as much as $25 million.
Several on the council who voted to end the program still maintain that they support the cameras but indicated the importance of respecting “the will of the people.”
Los Angeles saw it’s camera program come to an end after the City Council voted on July 31 7-5 to allow their contract to expire without renewal.
LAPD claims these cameras did increase safety, citing a 62% decrease in red-light traffic collisions. However, it’s worth noting that opponents have always questioned the safety related “evidence” in support of red light cameras. For example, does this 62% number take into account the number of rear end accidents caused by people slamming on their brakes in fear of a camera summons or the number of accidents caused by people cutting corners or traveling residential roadways to avoid major camera enforced intersections?
The main issue in LA was that the program was ineffective because fines were not always collected. One Councilman cited the courts failure to use the tools at their disposal to hold people responsible and force them to pay their fines. Instead, too many fines went uncollected and what would have been a profitable venture became a losing one.
Houston and Los Angeles have spoken but this isn’t the last we’ll hear of this issue around the country.
Windcrest, Texas Police: Pay Your Speeding Ticket Or Go To Jail Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
If you have an outstanding Texas speeding ticket, the city of Windcrest is giving you one last chance to pay the speeding ticket fine.
More than 9,000 delinquent violators have until Friday, June 24 to pay up before officers track them down and begin making arrests.
Windcrest police Chief Joe Pabon explained that these people had ample time to come in and take care of their speeding tickets but have failed to do so. So now “we’re going to go and try to clear our books up.”
It’s no wonder they are anxious to collect the overdue fine money. Estimates place the total due on these overdue speeding tickets at $2 million.
Texas Traffic Ticket Information Now Available Online Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
If you have been issued a traffic ticket from the Texas Highway Patrol and somehow misplaced the ticket before ever paying the ticket, contesting it or otherwise taking care of it, there’s a new online system to help.
Drivers can access the new online system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can locate the court information associated with their ticket and can properly follow through on their summons.
Drivers can search for tickets issued by the Highway Patrol within the past 24 months from the current date.
In order to access the information, drivers must provide their driver license or identification card number, their date of birth and their full name as listed on the driver license or ID.
Drivers who execute a search and have an open Texas Highway Patrol traffic ticket will be provided with the name, address and contact information for the court where the ticket was filed.
The web address is https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/HighwayPatrol/Citations/ .
Good timing for some recipients of Houston traffic tickets Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
Houston Police Department officers are failing to show up at traffic court without the promise of overtime compensation.
Houston has appare lost millions in unwritten and dismissed Houston traffic tickets. HPD officers are writing about 25 percent fewer tickets than last year, and around one in seven traffic violations were ultimately dismissed because the ticket issuing officer did not show up in traffic court.
Prior to the new overtime policy, Houston police officers were able to collect overtime to sit in traffic court and wait for their cases to come up.
This may not exactly be a “get out of jail free” card, but it’s certainly more likely today than a year ago that a speeding ticket issued today in Houston will be dismissed.
Texas traffic ticket program helps the needy Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Sansom Park is a small community of about 4,000 people, located in Tarrant County, Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth area). The police chief started a ‘Tickets For Tots’ program a few years ago. It seems like a great idea.
A driver who is pulled over in this area during the holiday season will have a choice. Either bring unwrapped toys to the police station or proceed with the traffic ticket. About 90 percent choose to bring the toys.
It’s very hard to not be cynical about any program that relies on car stops and the issuance of traffic tickets. Maybe the most cynical will argue that officers will be extra aggressive in an effort to increase the number of donated toys or will argue that a judge will view them as a holiday scrooge for contesting a ticket instead of contributing to the cause.
While the cynics will always be there, this seems to simply be a good program. The traffic ticket fine money–which in most states goes to who knows what/where–is having a direct, immediate, positive impact on the community. Good for them and we should hope for similar programs around the country.
Submitted by Scott Feifer
New York traffic lawyer
NYTicketHELP.com
