This story was big news today. Seems that almost half of red light
camera fines go unpaid, thanks to people who drive around in
unregistered cars. I guess it makes sense that the kind of scofflaw
who would run a red light is also the kind of scofflaw who would not
bother to register their car or buy insurance.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_6999033

45% of drivers caught by Valley's red-light cameras aren't cited
BY RACHEL URANGA, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 09/26/2007 08:53:27 AM PDT

Los Angeles' $15 million, high-tech camera system designed to catch
red-light runners let nearly half of all violators in the San Fernando
Valley off the hook last year because the drivers couldn't be
identified, according to police data.

While officials had hoped the cameras would result in a citation rate
as high as 80 percent, in the Valley that was running at only
55percent last year.

While the rate citywide is slightly better at 60 percent, critics
question the gaps and note that the project is now nearly five months
behind schedule with only 26 of 32 cameras in place.

And as of April, the unissued citations have meant the city has lost
at least $1.1 million.

By far the biggest obstacle to ticketing violators, they say, has been
outdated or unidentifiable car registrations.

Last year in the Valley, where three of eight projected cameras were
up and running, 2,928 violations were recorded, but just 1,608 tickets
were handed out, police said.

Citywide between May 2006 and April 30 of this year, police were able
to cite just 60 percent of violators - or 10,882 of the 18,035 caught
on tape, according to a report released last week by the civilian Los
Angeles Police Commission.

Police say the bulk of violators who weren't ticketed have cars
registered to drivers who no longer own the vehicles.

Under state law, car owners are required to have insurance when they
register the car. But police suspect that some owners fail to register
because they can't afford - or didn't want to buy - sometimes
expensive insurance.

Perched atop signal poles at some of the city's most dangerous
intersections, the multiple cameras take three seconds to four seconds
of video at 30 frames a second.

One camera zooms in on the front license plate and the driver, then
turns as the car zooms off. Another camera catches the entire car
speeding through the intersection.

Violators receive a ticket in the mail, and they can view the evidence
online.

Once a plate is captured, the LAPD contacts the last recorded
registered owner. But the department can't cite them for another
driver's offense.

For each $381 red-light ticket given, the city coffers add $157.19,
according to the LAPD.