Will I get a stupid traffic ticket?

Question

Okay, so I was waiting to turn left onto South street, when the green arrow comes on. So these two cars in front of me go and so do I, 'cause the light was still green. But as I'm about to complete my left turn, the light becomes yellow and BOOM, I see a flash right behind me. Was it flashing at me?

'Cause those freaking photo enforcement lights had been flashing all afternoon at almost every car.

I've heard it has to flash you front and back. And the light seemed distant. When I saw the flash, I was like WHAT?!

What do you guys think?

I am going to appeal if I get a ticket.

Answer 1

If the light was yellow, you're in the clear legally. The picture will have to show that it was you AND that the light was red BEFORE you turned. If that was not the case, then you have nothing to worry about.... but the photo won't lie.

Answer 2

In my home state, the legal definition of running a red light is something to the effect of "entering the intersection by crossing a either a stop line or crosswalk, either marked or unmarked, after the light has turned red."  

A guy here recently beat a ticket by proving that the camera only proved that he was in the intersection after the light had turned red, not that he had entered the intersection after the light had changed.

Before you get too paranoid about it, there's a possibility that it was getting the car behind you. The number of people that feel entitled to go after the light has changed because they think the driver in front of them didn't go quickly enough is growing at an alarming rate.

Another possibility is that the software that operates the camera malfunctioned. Anyone that's had a Windows crash knows that. I don't know what system they're using, but it's certainly a possibility.

The Dallas Morning News, http://www.dallasnews.com/

should be able to help you find the article. I think it's from around 2004 or so.

Good Luck,

DGI

Answer 3

Maybe the car behind you hit a bump and that made their headlights shine more directly into your mirror.

Answer 4

if you were completing your turn when the light  turned yellow you should have nothing to worry about unless the light was yellow when you started taking the turn

Answer 5

as long as your front tires where past the first crosswalk line they wont give it to you, (seen it in court)