A knock at your door by a friendly, smiling traffic commissioner or "commissionaires" handing you a legally served red light speeding ticket does not make any ones day. Yet be aware that it is well within your legal right to contest or appeal said ticket or fine and request a hearing. It's not a simple open and shut case, as you might think, in dealing with the legalities of red light traffic and speeding recording devices.
However few due to this due to high legal or paralegal costs to appeal such tickets and fines, the time costs involved and the fact that red light speeding tickets - though a strictly enforced traffic speeding summons , do not carry points and demerits against your license. Get caught speeding by a live policeman in a speed trap on the roadside and that is an entirely different story resulting in a speed infraction which does carry such infractions which may snowball into increased annual driver permit and auto license fees and surcharges. Hence a red light ticket fine, in most legal jurisdictions, is slighted against the vehicle only and thus incurs limited additional costs to you - that it except the actual amount listed on the notice. Even though you might mutter "What a stacked deck" and "What a racket" it's easiest and simplest simply to pay the fine and get on with your life, duties and responsibilities.
It might be stated and upheld by some authorities schooled and expert in law and legal enforcement tactics and procedures, that local governments and their traffic police enforcement divisions are being unfair and even unjust in implementing red light traffic control systems and are violating their own laws and rules when it comes to providing safety in addition to not infringing or curtailing certain basic assured "rights' and liberties. It is the right of a citizen to appeal an infraction and fine and thus "have their day in court". Yet in the case of these fines and summons the setup is that many cannot not be bothered to take the time and trouble to follow the procedure for the appeal process. It is no accident. Hence most simply pay the fine or fines as a matter of routine. It's not worth the time, effort and trouble to go through the appeal process or processes. It takes time off work, time of preparation and the intimidation of appealing in court or before a traffic court judge. Who needs it they rationalize and simply pay the fine - or perhaps as many see it the ubiquitous taxman once again.
Yet the implications of this legal strategy in today's rushed and busy world - especially in terms of practical sales or conversion terms in terms of tax collection are quite effective and even insidious. Since the car is the one at fault - or specifically the registered owner, the driver is not charged in any manner, or do they received points or infractions against their license and in most jurisdictions their auto insurance. Hence the ticket and its penalties do not carry much weight except for financial costs and penalties. Weight that against the time and travel time involved costs of fighting that sucker which may involve you time and legal costs and most people simply choose to send a check in the mail or conveniently pay online by credit card or over the phone.
Lastly you may think that the whole series of events and even the "game" is corrupt. You may be right, you may be wrong yet don't even think of avoiding paying that red light and speeding notice / ticket. In spite of the fact that the car is charged not you - the registered owner of the car is held liable. Failure to pay the penalty by due date not only involves the court system assessing further fines and penalties , as well as the costs of serving your summons but that the person whom owns the car or truck may receive much more major penalties , awards , and restrictions which can snowball into loss of driver's license , impounding and seizure of vehicle etc. Don't tempt fate or the powers of the law. It's as simple as that.
However few due to this due to high legal or paralegal costs to appeal such tickets and fines, the time costs involved and the fact that red light speeding tickets - though a strictly enforced traffic speeding summons , do not carry points and demerits against your license. Get caught speeding by a live policeman in a speed trap on the roadside and that is an entirely different story resulting in a speed infraction which does carry such infractions which may snowball into increased annual driver permit and auto license fees and surcharges. Hence a red light ticket fine, in most legal jurisdictions, is slighted against the vehicle only and thus incurs limited additional costs to you - that it except the actual amount listed on the notice. Even though you might mutter "What a stacked deck" and "What a racket" it's easiest and simplest simply to pay the fine and get on with your life, duties and responsibilities.
It might be stated and upheld by some authorities schooled and expert in law and legal enforcement tactics and procedures, that local governments and their traffic police enforcement divisions are being unfair and even unjust in implementing red light traffic control systems and are violating their own laws and rules when it comes to providing safety in addition to not infringing or curtailing certain basic assured "rights' and liberties. It is the right of a citizen to appeal an infraction and fine and thus "have their day in court". Yet in the case of these fines and summons the setup is that many cannot not be bothered to take the time and trouble to follow the procedure for the appeal process. It is no accident. Hence most simply pay the fine or fines as a matter of routine. It's not worth the time, effort and trouble to go through the appeal process or processes. It takes time off work, time of preparation and the intimidation of appealing in court or before a traffic court judge. Who needs it they rationalize and simply pay the fine - or perhaps as many see it the ubiquitous taxman once again.
Yet the implications of this legal strategy in today's rushed and busy world - especially in terms of practical sales or conversion terms in terms of tax collection are quite effective and even insidious. Since the car is the one at fault - or specifically the registered owner, the driver is not charged in any manner, or do they received points or infractions against their license and in most jurisdictions their auto insurance. Hence the ticket and its penalties do not carry much weight except for financial costs and penalties. Weight that against the time and travel time involved costs of fighting that sucker which may involve you time and legal costs and most people simply choose to send a check in the mail or conveniently pay online by credit card or over the phone.
Lastly you may think that the whole series of events and even the "game" is corrupt. You may be right, you may be wrong yet don't even think of avoiding paying that red light and speeding notice / ticket. In spite of the fact that the car is charged not you - the registered owner of the car is held liable. Failure to pay the penalty by due date not only involves the court system assessing further fines and penalties , as well as the costs of serving your summons but that the person whom owns the car or truck may receive much more major penalties , awards , and restrictions which can snowball into loss of driver's license , impounding and seizure of vehicle etc. Don't tempt fate or the powers of the law. It's as simple as that.
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