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Ridgewood lawyer Joseph R. Santoli presses towns on red light camera certification
Ridgewood lawyer Joseph R. Santoli presses towns on red light camera certification
July 30,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , Gov. Chris Christie said last Tuesday that all of New Jersey’s red-light cameras have now been certified, so towns may soon be able to resume issuing tickets for the devices that have quickly multiplied across the state.
Critics have for sometime complained that the cameras are more of a revenue raising measure than a safety initiate and have focused on the length of the amber light not giving drivers enough time to get through the light .They also mention other issues like making a left turn in traffic and getting ticketed for still being in the middle of the intersection when the lights change ,the camera thinking you ran the light instead of getting stuck in the transition ..
These complaints were found to be true and five weeks ago, the state suspended all but 22 of the 85 cameras in New Jersey after it was determined that the amber lights at those intersections might not have given motorists enough time to get through.
No tickets were issued for the red-light cameras in question while the DOT directed towns to conduct speed surveys at the intersections. The cameras photograph vehicles and their license plates when drivers run red lights. Tickets are then mailed to the vehicles’ owners.
Ridgewood lawyer Joseph R. Santoli, who is working on a class-action suit for the 21 towns where cameras were not certified properly as of June 19, told Mike Frassinelli and Jenna Portnoy of The Star-Ledger that the vendors who handle New Jersey’s red-light cameras have a history of quick amber lights and that the suit would continue.
“We think there is damage to several different classes,” Santoli said. “We’re exploring statewide remedies and remedies for the taxpayers.
The other problem arises for drivers who challenge tickets given before the timing issue was fixed . According to sources video footage is only kept up to 90 days giving drivers falsely ticked little recourse .
Mean while as usual the tax payers are on the hook while the state fiddles ,fails and fiddles again in their never ending effort to soak more revenue from New Jersey’s drivers.
