Red Light Photo Enforcement Questions
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Q How does it work?
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A  35 mm cameras are used to photograph the drivers and the license plates of vehicles that run a red light. A ticket will be mailed to the registered owner within 15 days.  The cameras work 24 hours per day. Data about the speed of the vehicle and how long the light was red is automatically recorded on the photo.
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Q Why do we need Red Light Photo Enforcement?
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A Running  red lights is a serious safety problem. There were 220 run red crashes last year in Oxnard, and 58 % of run red crashes result in injuries.  Run red tickets are difficult for officers to write. There are many intersections where there is no place for an officer to be positioned to observe violators. If a violator is observed, the officer must run the red light in pursuit which can be hazardous.
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Q How often are red lights being run
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A In Oxnard we have recorded as many as one  violation every hour in one direction of travel at an intersection.
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Q Where are the cameras located?
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A It is  City policy not to release the locations since we want drivers to obey every  traffic signal in the City.  Signs are posted at all of the main entrances to the City to alert motorists that we use photo enforcement.
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Q What if I was not driving my car?
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A  Vehicle owners can make an appointment to view  the photographs of the violation. If the owner was not driving the car, he or she will be asked to identify the driver so the ticket can be reissued. The original ticket can then be dismissed.
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Q What other cities use red light photo enforcement?
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A  New York City, San Francisco, Beverly Hills,Washington D.C. Baltimore  have operating systems in the United States . 
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Q How much  does a ticket for running a red light cost? 
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A  As of January 1998, a run red ticket costs the driver $271. 
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Q How many tickets have been issued?
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A   In the first six months of enforcement (ending December 1997) over 2000 tickets were issued.
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Q Have collisions been reduced?
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A  Comparing the 12 month period before ticketing began with 12 months after, there was a 22% drop in crashes involving red light running. This is 48 less collisions.
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<A HREF=http://home.vicnet.net.au/~tco/html/red_light_camera.htm>View  photos of 
run-red  collisions from Victoria, Australia,</A><BR> 
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<A HREF=http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/stoprlr/index.htm>Federal red light running campaign,</A><BR>
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<A HREF=http://www.oxnardpd.org/redlite.htm>Oxnard P.D--Red Light Enforcement,</A<BR>
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