Red Light Cameras

When at or approaching a set of traffic lights showing a red light, a driver must stop their vehicle as close as possible to, but not over the stop line. The driver must not proceed until the traffic lights are showing a green or, in some cases a flashing yellow light.

A large number of the crashes occurring at intersections controlled by traffic lights can be attributed to a driver ‘running’ a red light. The aim of Red Light Cameras is to deter people from running red lights, and through this reduce the risk of people having crashes at traffic light controlled intersections.

Red Light Camera sites are generally selected based on the proposed site’s history of crashes relating to vehicles failing to obey traffic light signals.

Red Light Cameras are automatic devices that are programmed to take photographs of vehicles that cross the ‘stop line’ and proceed through the intersection while the traffic lights are showing a red signal.

Red Light Cameras take two photographs of offending vehicles one second apart in order to determine whether the vehicle stopped after the stop line or continued through the intersection.

Information such as the time and date of the offence, the lane position of the offending vehicle, and the amount of time lapsed since the light turned red is recorded with the photographs.

Red Light Camera Photographic Detection Device Offence Notices are sent to the registered owner of the offending vehicle with three images attached – the two photographs taken by the red light camera, and a ‘close up’ image of the offending vehicle.

Before a Photographic Detection Device Offence Notice is issued the photographs taken by the red light cameras must first be examined by trained adjudicators. You have the right to challenge Photographic Detection Device Offence Notices.