So a few months back I ended up running a red light. I currently live in California and wasn't sure of the penalties regarding traffic violations. I moved here from Maryland and had no idea of what to expect. Turns out I was right. My ticket is for 490$ dollars. I thought that number was absurd so I decided to look up what the red light tickets are in Maryland. To my surprise they are only 75$ dollars. Thats insanity. I cant believe how much higher the cost is in this state. My mind is completely blown over this whole thing. I wondered if the rest of the country was as high as Cali. I found out that only a few states actually have red light cameras as part of their traffic laws. Only 21 to be exact. There are 9 that prohibit the use of red light cameras and 20 that have no law for them.
I really don't have any idea why California's tickets are so high. Where is all the money going? I am sure a bunch of people's pockets are getting fatter off of this. California has one of the highest red light ticket cost in the country. Oregon beats them by 30 bucks. But thats only if you happen to run the light in a school zone. If not its only 260$. I know all the states generally don't hold each other to the same standards but I still don't feel like I need to pay that much money. Its really annoying especially when you are not working. Rent and grocery money going down the toilet. I should hit up the ticket clinic and see if I can get out of this ticket. It is short notice since I have to go to court on Friday. Worth a shot tho.
Here is the link to the site I got the state red light costs from. State Speed and Red LIght Camera Laws
