wackura

I've been searching around for laws regulating so called "traffic safety cameras." I've read that some towns had reduced the yellow light duration bellow their legal limit in order to encourage red light running, so I figure the odds that my city might be breaking some rules isn't so far fetched.

I can only find two state documents that descride traffic camera regulations:

Senate Bill 5369 (it apparently passed) dated February 12, 2004
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/BillInfo/2...369-S2.SBR.pdf

RCW 46.63.170
Automated traffic safety cameras — Definition. effective July 1, 2008
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.63.170


The part I'm interested in is where in the 2004 Senate bill is says
"law enforcement must plainly mark locations
where a camera is used and signs must be displayed 100 yards in advance of the locations
stating "TRAFFIC LIGHT AND RAILROAD CROSSING VIOLATIONS RECORDED BY
CAMERA" in letters at least six inches high;"

while the RCW 46.63.170 from 2008 says more vaguely
"All locations where an automated traffic safety camera is used must be clearly marked by placing signs in locations that clearly indicate to a driver that he or she is entering a zone where traffic laws are enforced by an automated traffic safety camera."

My question is does a city have to follow the rules of the Senate bill or are they voided by the more vague and recent RCW? Was the passed senate bill ever a law-law or was it more like a friendly suggestion? The city definately doesn't have signs preceding traffic camera intersections by a hundred yards with that verbage above written on them. Are they required to?

Will Y.

A Senate bill has no effect and does not become a law until passed by the entire legislature- http://www.leg.wa.gov/WorkingwithLeg/bill2law.htm.

The RCW is the law as passed by the legislature, following changes in committees, etc. etc.
Each City and County must abide by the law, including RCW 46.63.170(1)(a)'s requirements for a local ordinance permitting use of the cameras and standards for signage: "The appropriate local legislative authority must first enact an ordinance allowing for their use to detect one or more of the following: Stoplight, railroad crossing, or school speed zone violations. At a minimum, the local ordinance must contain the restrictions described in this section and provisions for public notice and signage. Cities and counties using automated traffic safety cameras before July 24, 2005, are subject to the restrictions described in this section, but are not required to enact an authorizing ordinance."

If there is no sign distance requirement in the RCW, you have to assess whether there is compliance with the local ordinances in the jurisdiction where the relevant camera is situated.

wackura

Thanks for taking the time to look that over

Bearcat94

There are usually (I'd guess always) standards in design for yellow duration based on normal/average speeds (not necessarily posted speeds), length of intersection, volume of traffic, etc.

I too have read where some city's/town's will shorten the Yellow duration at ticket-camera intersections. If you can show that the duration of the yellow does not meet the intersection design standard, you'd have a good chance of beating the ticket.