Photo-Radar Ticket Dispute

[CaptainYooh]

I know, this has been discussed a few times but please bear with me; it's a short story. I was driving in the middle lane 50 km/hr on McLeod. Suddenly, a pickup truck cut me off from the right lane speeding three lanes across into the left lane in the middle of the intersection with 7th Ave. I had to brake hard. Lights changed and I was half-way into the intersection, so I instinctively pressed gas to get out of the way. $405 ticket in the mail. I filed an online request for dispute and within 10 minutes received a reduction offer to $287. Honestly, I felt like being in a flea-market. I am thinking of going to court and explaining the situation to the judge but I will only have my story to tell and nothing to substantiate is (although the offending truck is visible in the photo). Had anyone done that successfully or unsuccessfully? Please share your experience.

[Boblobla]

So you got a speeding ticket or a red light ticket?

[CaptainYooh]

red-light

[GoinAllTheWay]

I would assume running red as he was at a dead stop in the intersection and travelling 50km/hr prior.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

red-light

Is the offending truck still in the pictures?

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by GGG

Is the offending truck still in the pictures?

Yes, but not while cutting me off. The first photo was taken when I stopped hard and the second photo – as I was going through. The offending truck is visible in the left lane just past the intersection.

[DoubleF]

Whether or not you roll the dice, it seems like it would be a good idea to invest in a dash cam. That way you have something to substantiate the claim the next time something peculiar like this happens.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Whether or not you roll the dice, it seems like it would be a good idea to invest in a dash cam. That way you have something to substantiate the claim the next time something peculiar like this happens.

Ugh, yes, I keep meaing to do this. Such a good idea.

Need to find one that you can easily wire into your fuse box so it powers up automatically when you start your car.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Yes, but not while cutting me off. The first photo was taken when I stopped hard and the second photo – as I was going through. The offending truck is visible in the left lane just past the intersection.

I think the reduction is the best you will do. Pleading not-guilty and contesting it seems risky since you entered the intersection. You likely should have just stopped where you were. If the truck didn't cut you off and made you brake, it sounds like you still would have run the light?

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

Ugh, yes, I keep meaing to do this. Such a good idea.

Need to find one that you can easily wire into your fuse box so it powers up automatically when you start your car.

Use any decent one with cigarette lighter power first and swap to a hard wire kit when convenient?

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

I don't see how stopping for a truck can make you run a red light.
When you get a red light ticket, it needs to show 2 pictures.
1 where you aren't in the intersection on red, and a 2nd where you are going through on red.
I don't see how having to slam on your brakes in the intersection can cause you to be entering the intersection when the light is red.

[CaptainYooh]

Has anyone here argued a photo-radar ticket before the judge?

[TorqueDog]

I'm not quite certain how it works end-to-end, but I would have pled not guilty to begin the process of getting a court date set. Apparently the courts are pretty damn backed up still and a lot of people seem to have success getting them dropped before it ever reaches trial.

Once you've pled not guilty, you file a dispute and get an immediate offer for a reduction like the one you got, because they just want your money and want to spend as little resources as possible to get it.

[SutterBrother]

From past experience - pay the $287 and move on. It sucks, but everything else is such a time suck and hassle... probably doubly so with all the Covid protocols.

[Calgary14]

Dash cams are useful even if your car is old and worth little (mine). I really like knowing I'm covered in terms of liability in case of potential stupidity from other drivers

[CaptainYooh]

I do have a dashcam. But it deletes old files once the card size limit is reached. The earliest recording was two days after the ticket date, unfortunately.

[TorqueDog]

Not that it helps now, but you should get the biggest possible SD card your camera supports, both for delaying video rollover and card longevity.

[CaptainYooh]

I do. 64Gb is the biggest card my StreetGuardian supports.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

I do. 64Gb is the biggest card my StreetGuardian supports.

If you have access to a larger card you may want to pop it in and give it a shot, lots of devices will work with cards larger than they officially support

[Erick Estrada]

If they already reduced the fine that's likely the best you will get as when you go to court the only outcome you should expect is a reduction for a ticket like this. I'm going to court later this month for a speeding ticket and there are two possible outcomes. The officer will not show up and I get off (happens more than half the time) or the officer shows up, we discuss the ticket (these guys usually can't remember anyway) and I get a reduction. This has been the way it's been for me for decades.