Washington State Red Light Traffic Cameras Aren’t Allowed To Do This

Washington State Red Light Traffic Cameras Aren't Allowed To Do This

So I was driving down 20th Avenue in Pasco and came across the red light traffic camera that'll send you a photo if you run a red light.

The One Thing You Need To Know About Washington State Red Light Traffic Cameras

I remember when Pasco installed the cameras and there was a huge uproar from the community about their installations as people said it was entrapment.

The cameras have now been there for years and I haven't met anyone who's received a ticket from the cameras.

Get our free mobile app

I got curious because my first thought was that maybe there wasn't any film in the cameras and maybe it's more of a scare tactic than a real red light traffic camera that's sending out speeding tickets and failure to stop tickets.

I've done a little research and I was surprised by what I found about red-light traffic cameras in Washington State.

My co-worker Patti got a ticket years ago showing her munching on a burrito as she ran a red light back in the mid-west.

Interestingly enough, according to Readers Digest, the photo the camera can take varies from state to state.

Jeff Westover, a former Washington state police officer and owner of several 911 Driving Schools in Washington says that “Washington state law prohibits a picture or video of the face of the driver, so the violations recorded in Washington state are all of the rear of the vehicle.”

So I discovered that even if the Pasco red-light traffic camera was working, it could only take a photo of the rear of your car.

It seems it might be easier to fight in court than a full-fledged photo of you eating a burrito racing a red light.

So I learned something new about Washington State red-light cameras, your car can only be photographed from behind.

Let me know if you got a ticket from one of these red-light traffic cameras in the past and share your thoughts in the comments below.