CINCINNNATI — If you are heading out this month on a driving vacation, you may want to know that red light traffic cameras — and, to a lesser extent, speed cameras — are now legal in almost two dozen states.
Despite several courts ruling them unconstitutional in their state, these cameras are going up on more and more intersections.
You could end up like Jacob Moritz, who prides himself on his driving.
"I definitely don't run red lights, I can't afford to," he said.
But just over a year ago, a city in Illinois thought he did, sending him $100 ticket for running a red light camera.
The only problem: Jacob says it was a case of mistaken identity.
"I knew it wasn't my pickup truck and wasn't my license plate," he said.
He said it was not his Ford F-150 in the photos. He wasn't even in Illinois at the time.
"No, that's a Ford Explorer Sport Track," he said.
But Moritz thinks he knows why he was targeted: His plate is one digit off from the plate in the photo.
More states and cities add them
Whether the traffic cam is right or wrong — and in this case it made a mistake — you want to watch out for them, keeping your eyes open for cameras sitting up near traffic lights.
The Governor's Highway Safety Association says this year 22 states plus Washington DC now allow them, giving municipalities the OK to put them up at busy intersections.
And many are, as a way of slowing down traffic and bringing in revenue.
The governor's group has posted an interactive map of all states with red light cameras, that also shows which allow speed cameras.
It's helpful to know during your summer travels, especially if you will be spending time in a state that allows it.
In the meantime, if you receive a citation in the mail, traffic attorneys say you should not toss it.
They say:
- Never ignore a ticket, even one from another state.
- Find out how to challenge it.
- Send challenging information, including photos, to the court.
Even if it's mistaken identity, you're considered guilty until you prove yourself innocent.
So think twice before cruising through that yellow light as it turns to red on your summer travels, as a camera may be watching.
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