North Carolina has seen an increase in recent years in red light cameras at various intersections. The cameras take a picture when the light is red of you driving past the line. Then you receive a letter in the mail with 30 days to pay the fine.
Raleigh has enacted a SafeLight program designed “to reduce angle collisions at intersections.” The latest house rules passed in 2003 with multiple cities using the SafeLight program. Raleigh uses an automated enforcement vendor to handle everything from installation to adjudication support and payment processing.
If you run the red light, the camera should take two pictures. One picture shows the light as red while the other captures your license plate. Passing the stop bar and continuing forward shows the enforcement vendor that you had no intention of stopping even though the light was red.
Should you stop in the middle of the intersection or stop past the stop bar, the cameras should not take a photo of your vehicle. Common occurrences such as funeral processions and uniformed officer direction do not violate red light laws in the state. The state offers you four ways to pay the fine including in person, by mail, by phone or online.
You can appeal the $50 citation within 30 days if you are the registered owner of the vehicle. Keep in mind that your insurance and driver’s license will access points as long as you pay the fine in the specified period of time. This information is intended only to educate and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
