Speeding camera ticket in Ohio?

[detroiter]

Well lately I've been driving a lot more in Ohio (Cleveland to be exact) and notice something that we DON'T have in Michigan..speed cameras. I don't think one got me (I was driving at night and might have been one or two over the posted limit because I was unfamiliar with the area) but I didn't see any flashes go off. But now when I'm driving, they make me super paranoid, especially article upon article of how many city official flat out say they are nothing more than a money maker. Speeding, yes you should be punished but I think they need better postings of the speed limits. The roads there change so much and speeds change like a woman changes clothes, but you're hardluck to find a posted speed limit, especially around the camera traffic intersections (coincidence?).

My question is, if you were driving at night..is it pretty noticeable if one of those cameras got you? My other question is, if it's a speeding offense...i don't understand how it's treated like a parking ticket or any other non-moving violation, that it doesn't go on record or your driving license...basically once it's paid for, you never hear about it again.

One last question is, can it give a ticket if you drive too slow? lol I've been doing at least 5 under in the posted areas and in the areas that might be 35, I do 25 just to be safe until I see a posted sign.


I know we have some Ohio drivers on this forum who can help me out with these questions, thanks in advance!

[WeeYari]

Based on Ontario's brief experimentation with speed cameras a number of years back, this is what I know;

- at night, yes the flash is noticable

- the cameras are not set to the posted speed limit. They will allow you to go over the posted limit. Probably to the same degree of forgiveness that an actual enforcement officer will allow

- I don't believe they are there to enforce minimum speed limits. Aren't minimum speeds applicable to major highways and interstates only?

[Jabro]

Based off my years in Europe, which America is trying to base its speeds camera's off of, they give you a good 10mph or so before flashing you. Is it a money maker? It certainly is, and a damn good one too. Is it effective? No, the locals eventually learn where the cameras are and the only people they end up catching are people passing through or visitors. Usually the ticket is mailed to you and you have to pay up, but in your case, you didn't see the flash, and trust me the flash is pretty obvious, so I wouldn't worry just yet.

And no, they only flash you for going over, not under.

[edmscan]

Here I believe they set their radars to 16 km (10 miles) above the posted speed limit. So if you get a photo radar ticket .. you deserve it. I have never received a ticket as well I just don't speed. It isn't hard, you just have to make a decision to drive at a reasonable speed. I have no compassion for those that say it is a cash grab .. it really isn't as they leave you lots of room to drive above the posted limit before you get a ticket.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by edmscan

Here I believe they set their radars to 16 km (10 miles) above the posted speed limit. So if you get a photo radar ticket .. you deserve it. I have never received a ticket as well I just don't speed. It isn't hard, you just have to make a decision to drive at a reasonable speed. I have no compassion for those that say it is a cash grab .. it really isn't as they leave you lots of room to drive above the posted limit before you get a ticket.

I may have asked you this last year (if so please indulge me) -- Do you find that there are enough speed limit signs during your normal driving in Alberta to allow you to always obey the speed limit? I notice there are MANY fewer speed limit signs along a given stretch of road in Texas (especially in my county and adjacent ones) when compared to a like stretch of road in California (in addition to many fewer roads with shoulders). I wonder if this is the byproduct of being a low tax, low service state or if it is intentional to help create revenue. A friend of mine, also a native Californian, moved here about 6 years before I did (I didn't know him then). He was driving on a road here that changes speed limits 3 times within about 10 miles. He knows exactly where the speed limit changes, and at each limit changed his speed so he would stay one mile an hour under the speed limit. A cop pulled him over and asked why he was driving likr he was driving. My friend explained his driving as I just did to the cop. The cop said "People around here don't drive like that" . No matter what my friend said during the rest of the brief conversation, the cop gave that same answer. At the end of the conversation, the cop gave him a written warning for 'driving suspiciously' .

Within the last week or so I was watching a TV show that had a 'TX vs. CA' segment. One difference they illustrated was the approach to property seizure on the roadways. In Texas, the local jurisdiction gets 90% of the 'pie' and in California 65% of the 'pie'. More importantly, in California the burden of proof of the officer's assertion lies with law enforcement. In Texas this burden of proof is on the stopped driver to disprove the LEOs assertion. If the LEO in Texas feels you are carrying too much cash (this has happened with as little as $900.00) he can assume that it came from Drugs, etc. and seize it along with your car. This might explain why, albeit anecdotally, I see cops pulling over expensive cars at a much higher rate than I've noticed in California. I also see (here) many more stickers indicating that drivers have contributed to various LEO charities than in California.

[junorico24]

I got one for the first time in like 7 years. I went to a new area because my gf just started work there.I was giving her a lift and picking her up. So yeah it sucks i got 105 bucks in fine plus 1pt off my license.It's not too bad.

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I may have asked you this last year (if so please indulge me) -- Do you find that there are enough speed limit signs during your normal driving in Alberta to allow you to always obey the speed limit?

Yes there are plenty of signs .. besides on the highway entering Edmonton there are signs saying that the speed limit is 50 km/h in the city unless otherwise posted. So you are pretty safe to go anywhere up to 65 km/h before having to worry about getting a photo radar ticket.

I don't myself push it .. I tend to do in the high 50's (km/h) as a maximum and I know I am safe. ( .. and I have never received a ticket in over 30 years of driving here) However a police officer can always pull you over at whatever speed they desire (over the posted limit), but I don't think this ever happens as they would be pulling over everyone as no one does exactly the speed limit. If they did pull you over .. it would be probably because of some other reason, like expired registration.

[yaris2010RS]

Originally Posted by edmscan

Here I believe they set their radars to 16 km (10 miles) above the posted speed limit. So if you get a photo radar ticket .. you deserve it. I have never received a ticket as well I just don't speed. It isn't hard, you just have to make a decision to drive at a reasonable speed. I have no compassion for those that say it is a cash grab .. it really isn't as they leave you lots of room to drive above the posted limit before you get a ticket.

You apparently are not 21 y/o with a flashy lowered yaris with a loud exhaust and stickers.....

i get pulled over on average once ever 3 months, i have been cited for 11km/h over the posted limit (of which he was kind enough to reduce it to 10 over)

Last cop who pulled me over (this past monday) first thing he asked was if my car was in fact still a yaris as thats what the plates are registered to and he checked my vin number to my ownership.

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by yaris2010RS

You apparently are not 21 y/o with a flashy lowered yaris with a loud exhaust and stickers.....

i get pulled over on average once ever 3 months, i have been cited for 11km/h over the posted limit (of which he was kind enough to reduce it to 10 over)

Last cop who pulled me over (this past monday) first thing he asked was if my car was in fact still a yaris as thats what the plates are registered to and he checked my vin number to my ownership.

Nope .. totally stock Yaris, so I don't stick out, or cause the police to pull me over. I don't think I have been pulled over in over 5 years .. maybe 10.

[detroiter]

I absolutely agree with you, 10 mph above the speedlimit is very gracious and if you get one, you surely deserve it! The reason I ask is because I've heard A LOT of terrible things about Cleveland and their traffic enforcement cameras...bad calibrations, school zone cameras that fire at 20mph even though school isn't in session and it's 30mph therefore, etc. Just a lot of things that it seems like the city will do anything and everything it can to get money from a driver. I surely wasn't going 10 over, not even 5 over...I might have been going 2 or 3 over at the most because I was unfamiliar with the road speed. Like I said, I don't think I saw a flash go off and if it surely is as noticeable at night as posters are saying, I know for a fact I didn't see anything that caught my attention.

[detroiter]

From my understanding, Ohio and Cleveland dont put it on your driving record or license because it's not a criminal offense...it's a civil offense (?).

[detroiter]

lol I saw that video...two dummies driving a car that is too much power for them.

[JumpmanYaris]

All this is by people that don't live in OH lets see if we can get someone from that area in here...

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by detroiter

Well lately I've been driving a lot more in Ohio (Cleveland to be exact) and notice something that we DON'T have in Michigan..speed cameras. I don't think one got me (I was driving at night and might have been one or two over the posted limit because I was unfamiliar with the area) but I didn't see any flashes go off. But now when I'm driving, they make me super paranoid, especially article upon article of how many city official flat out say they are nothing more than a money maker. Speeding, yes you should be punished but I think they need better postings of the speed limits. The roads there change so much and speeds change like a woman changes clothes, but you're hardluck to find a posted speed limit, especially around the camera traffic intersections (coincidence?).

My question is, if you were driving at night..is it pretty noticeable if one of those cameras got you? My other question is, if it's a speeding offense...i don't understand how it's treated like a parking ticket or any other non-moving violation, that it doesn't go on record or your driving license...basically once it's paid for, you never hear about it again.

One last question is, can it give a ticket if you drive too slow? lol I've been doing at least 5 under in the posted areas and in the areas that might be 35, I do 25 just to be safe until I see a posted sign.


I know we have some Ohio drivers on this forum who can help me out with these questions, thanks in advance!

LOL. Many parts of my county are like Cleveland re scarcity of signs. I drive almost exactly as you describe you drive on surface streets. I do so to maximize MPG, and because we have so Many LEOs driving around -- I want to do as much as I can to not get a ticket. My zip code has a very low crime rate, we just have a lot of LEOs because we have LEOs from 4 different agencies driving around (County Constable's Office, Sheriff's Office, Police from the ISD (many school districts in Texas --- even good ones --- have their own police departments and they can give a ticket anywhere in the state, not just on school grounds), and DPS (the state 'Highway Patrol'). I've wondered the same thing -- Am I going too slow? -- when I can't find a sign to confirm the speed limit. . I've never been pulled over for that. I've only been pulled over for my plate light being burnt out.

I would guess that one of the reasons MIGHT be, aside from the complaints, that the violation doesn't go on your record (no potential to be 'criminal'), is that the burden of proof would be on the government to prove it was you. The ticket I got (mentioned on my previous post) = viewing my car from the rear. You couldn't see who was driving. There was a section on my ticket that would be an affidavit where the addressee could state they weren't driving the car. This p****d me off. This isn't 18th Century France (Yet ), with the Napoleonic Code. IMO, the burden of proof should be on the government. I shouldn't have to state anything or swear to anything.

[Absolutely Red 12]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

LOL. There was a section on my ticket that would be an affidavit where the addressee could state they weren't driving the car. This p****d me off. This isn't 18th Century France (Yet ), with the Napoleonic Code. IMO, the burden of proof should be on the government. I shouldn't have to state anything or swear to anything.

IF you state, and swear, "it wasn't me", then you have just testified, and will be compelled to show up to court, and continue to testify.

If its not clear on the picture who was driving, then all you do is plead not guilty (in writing), and ask the court to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt it was you, will not be compelled to testify, as you made a statement any attorney would make. The court can not compel you to testify, you won't be lying, nor forced to state whom it was.

I knew a woman who got a red light ticket in the mail, and her 200lb bearded son was driving her car. She mailed a copy of her drivers license, and pleaded not guilty, and asked the judge to prove thats her in the red light picture, based on her license.
Case was dismissed!!!

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Absolutely Red 12

IF you state, and swear, "it wasn't me", then you have just testified, and will be compelled to show up to court, and continue to testify.

If its not clear on the picture who was driving, then all you do is plead not guilty (in writing), and ask the court to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt it was you, will not be compelled to testify, as you made a statement any attorney would make. The court can not compel you to testify, you won't be lying, nor forced to state whom it was.

I knew a woman who got a red light ticket in the mail, and her 200lb bearded son was driving her car. She mailed a copy of her drivers license, and pleaded not guilty, and asked the judge to prove thats her in the red light picture, based on her license.
Case was dismissed!!!

I'll have to remember that if it happens to me again. But in Detroiter's situation, where they are talking about his credit and the administrative end is being handled by a private company, what would keep them from ignoring a written not guilty statement and just raising the fees and putting it on his credit? He might be able to get it reversed in the end, but would all that hassle be worth $75.00 ? I think they know most people won't feel that it is.

[detroiter]

I called to follow up and see if they had anything in the system issued to me, after looking up my social security number because i didn't have a ticket number ( i guess thats how it's tied in because it's linked to your credit), the lady said there was nothing there and then hung up on me! It's almost been two weeks this Saturday since the questionable event happened. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that nothing happened?


Also, I thought this was a chuckle...they try to publicly "shame" the offenders...
https://wmq.etimspayments.com/clpvb/

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by detroiter

I called to follow up and see if they had anything in the system issued to me, after looking up my social security number because i didn't have a ticket number ( i guess thats how it's tied in because it's linked to your credit), the lady said there was nothing there and then hung up on me! It's almost been two weeks this Saturday since the questionable event happened. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that nothing happened?


Also, I thought this was a chuckle...they try to publicly "shame" the offenders...
https://wmq.etimspayments.com/clpvb/

SS# . I wonder if that is legal. They are assuming the registered owner is driving, unless the image is processed through facial recognition software and matched. Love the "we care" on the homepage, and then she hangs up on you .