Deputies Plan to Enforce Right-on-Red Laws at Red Light Camera Intersections Mon, May 08, 2017 By wehoville.com Staff 14 Comments Sheriff’s deputies using West Hollywood’s red light photo enforcement program, an updated version of which went live in March, may begin ticketing drivers who make illegal right turns at stop lights as well as those spotted running through them. A report on the system will be presented tonight to the city’s Public Safety Commission, which will discuss the proposal to use the system to enforce the law prohibiting a driver from making a right turn at red light without stopping first. The city agreed in 1999 to install a system in which cameras could capture images of vehicles running through red lights. The cameras were installed initially at six intersections and then at 24 approaches to eight intersections on major streets and boulevards such as Santa Monica, Beverly, Robertson and Fountain. According to the city’s report, generated by the Department of Public Works, the program has been successful in reducing accidents and violations in concert with other steps such as installing “count down” pedestrian indicators at traffic light signals and high visibility “zebra” style crosswalks. By 2015 it was clear that the city’s old system was outmoded. For example, the photos it took used old-fashioned film that had to be developed using liquid chemicals rather than the digital photography process used today. The city dismantled that system and became installing a new one last year, which was in place and working late last year and early this year. The city also analyzed the eight intersections where red light cameras had been installed to determine which, after other improvements had been in place, still needed them. The new red light system now is active at eight intersections: — La Brea at Fountain (northbound) — La Brea at Fountain (southbound) — Beverly at Robertson (eastbound) — Beverly at Robertson (westbound) — La Brea at Santa Monica (eastbound) — La Brea at Santa Monica (northbound) — La Cienega at Melrose (northbound) — La Cienega at Melrose (southbound) The old system was used by law enforcement officers to identify cars that drive straight through an intersection while the light was red. But they didn’t pursue those who turned right at red lights without stopping because it was assumed they were moving at slower speeds and posing less of a hazard. The new cameras, however, can take videos which have alerted officers to more dangerous situations involving right turns on red. During a 30-day period ending on April 11 deputies saw 250 incidents in which motorists made right turns on red, about 100 of which involved vehicles driving at or over 15 miles an hour. Because of that, the Sheriff’s Department proposes ticketing people who make right turns on red if their vehicle exceeds 15 miles an hour or 10 miles an hour if the department finds other safety concerns. The Public Safety Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. today in the conference room on the first floor of City Hall, 625 Santa Monica Blvd. at Sweetzer. 14 Comments kab1200Mon, May 08, 2017 at 3:46 pm Ugh! a neighborMon, May 08, 2017 at 4:18 pm Oh goodie, that will be a money maker. It’s always nice to know big brother is going to be watching the paint dry, so to speak. I realized that I’m probably asking too much but since that systems going to be watching anyway how about trying to enforce that no texting and no use of the phone while driving law that’s been in place for a while. It’s just a thought. I sure hope the city is paying a lot for this service. RMDMon, May 08, 2017 at 5:49 pm Sweetzer & Fountain would be great too! The No Right on Red at the S/E corner is seldom adhered to by drivers, or enforced by the W.H. Sheriffs! Chipotle Denied (@ChipotleDenied)Mon, May 08, 2017 at 6:19 pm This is for MONEY only. Accidents for right turns on red are less than 1% of all crashes, I believe the figure is 0.6% of all crashes. So this is not out of any kind of safety need, but out of a desire to CASH IN on a typically harmless but technically illegal maneuver. CA NativeMon, May 08, 2017 at 6:56 pm Sorry, I strongly oppose this proposal. It is oppressive and it offends a fair sense of justice. If this is really about promoting safety and preventing unsafe driving, then right hand turn enforcement deserves the attention of real live enforcement by Sheriffs. There should be a focus on deterrence and education with a live officer. It should not be automated. Otherwise it is really about revenue and is just another way of gotcha trapping people and ginning up fees. Not to mention the lasting effect this can have on a driver slapped with a moving violation on their record. Putting aside how this expands a program that already offends a sense of justice (ticketing by automation) into a new purpose, it also leaves a distinctly sour taste for those who the city welcomes as visitors by saying, ‘here’s a ticket on your way through / out of town. Please come back so we can nail you with a fine and a moving violation again.’ And as for the underlying red light camera program, I think it is purely driven by revenue and it does not appear to really solve the problem. There have been a number of studies that conclude these programs merely relocate accidents in the approach to the intersection as drivers stop short rather than risk a picture running a light that turns red. At best, those darn hated cameras appear to relocate the problem; at worst, they may actually contribute to accidents. Surely after all this time, few honest studies anywhere in California show they solve the problem. (By honest, I mean studies that do not only study the subject intersections but also the preceding block on approach to include accidents from those stopping short. ) ObserverTue, May 09, 2017 at 9:27 am We all drive TOO FAST. 25 mph within city limits would eliminate many problems. In Weho there is very little road etiquette. Motorcycle cops could ertainly clamp down on illegal terms, blowing through stop signs and disregard for pedestrians. Even for abbreviated periods like the sheriff does for drunk driving nets. Red light cameras do little to change the consciousness of the majority of entitled, texting talking offenders. David ReidTue, May 09, 2017 at 9:29 am So they can afford these cameras (yes, they make money, first, save lives second) yet they cannot install more flashing lights at PED crosswalks? Thry replace the $400 a pop plastic sticks in the middle of the road daily yet can’t install another light as they did at Orange Grove on SMB. or even the Flashing warning like at the Big Gay Starbucks. So who in the city owns stock in the camera company? Michael KingTue, May 09, 2017 at 9:36 am I was at the Public Safety Commission meeting referred to in this article. Hank, had you actually shown up and updated this article with reports on the presentations by Staff and the Sheriff’s Dept., you could have addressed the issues of ‘fundraising’ and intersection safety. Video clips presented by the Sheriff show remarkably reckless and dangerous behavior by various drivers at the intersections in question. Vehicles traveling at twice the speed limit when they ran a red light, vehicles running the lights and swerving around others legally in intersections, vehicles not even slowing down to make turns on a red light, vehicles crowding pedestrians who had the ‘walk’ sign back onto the sidewalk because they didn’t want to stop for the light. Where were you, Hank? We deserve the whole story from you. No wonder WeHo’s citizens think our government is totally clueless. Henry (Hank) ScottTue, May 09, 2017 at 10:41 am I was writing a story about the trial involving Michelle Rex’s lawsuit against the City of West Hollywood, which began at 9:30 a.m. in downtown Los Angeles and ended at 4:30 p.m. Unfortunately I can’t attend every city meeting. But I really appreciate readers alerting me to issues I should know about and write about. My email address is henry@WEHOville.com and my mobile number is 917.335.6962. I will be in the courthouse through Thursday and cannot take calls until after 4:30 p.m. each day, but I can read text mails and emails. jcwconsult Tue, May 09, 2017 at 1:48 pm Two points. 1) The speed will be measured back from the intersection while cars are still slowing down, so the number will NOT measure the actual turning speed – it will inflate it falsely. 2) Federal research shows right on red turns, including those with or without a full stop, are involved in only six one-hundredths of one percent (0.06% or 0.0006) of all crashes with injuries or fatalities. Almost every slow rolling right on red ticket will go to a safe driver who endangered no one. The purpose is profits, not safety, but ticketing for profits is 100% wrong 100% of the time. James C. Walker, National Motorists Association Creative One Tue, May 09, 2017 at 5:30 pm There is still the legal issue of whether one who receives a video citation actually has to pay it. Most people don’t realize this. As others have stated, this is a pure revenue grab. True public safety is done with signage,properly timed signals, highly visible crosswalks and visual law enforcement. Stephen Wed, May 10, 2017 at 7:57 am Right turn on red RLC “tickets” ARE NOT safety. And any claim that they are is DISHONEST! http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/26/2693.asp “A review of US Department of Transportation statistics shows that an average motorist could drive a billion miles — the distance from Earth to Jupiter and back — before being involved in an accident that resulted from a motorist making a rolling stop on a right-hand turn.” Clearly this is more about money, the safety claims are crap! http://www.motorists.org Ban the Cams on Facebook Camerafraud on Facebook Bill Skywatcher Wed, May 10, 2017 at 5:50 pm This is CLEARLY a case of “do-gooder” government making people’s lives miserable. If you want to know why Republicans win elections, look no further. DaytonThu, May 11, 2017 at 2:37 pm READ: it is about NOT STOPPING to turn on red. Not even yielding really. They are not ticketing just for making the turn. Henry Willson Thu, May 11, 2017 at 10:29 pm Your comment is awaiting moderation. You can ignore these tickets! If you have doubts, do a search on red light camera no consequence. (The ability to ignore red light camera tickets is only inside LA County, and only if you do not contact the court about the ticket.) Today’s article doesn’t mention that there’s a bill in the legislature, right now, to permit speed camera tickets (photo radar) in California. It is AB 342, and IMHO it is just about extracting money from motorists – a speed tax. The automated speeding tickets won’t carry points, so multiple tickets won’t deter unsafe motorists, if they have enuf money. They’ll just write a check, and keep on speeding down your street. May I suggest that we all need to call our legislators in Sacramento?