COLORADO SPRINGS — Drivers passing through Dublin Boulevard and North Powers Boulevard may want to drive carefully from now on. The intersection's red light camera is now giving citations to those that run a red light.
The camera has been in a 30-day warning period to give drivers time to adjust, but starting Thursday there is no longer a grace period. This is the 19th camera in Colorado Springs and the first installed on Powers Blvd. Lieutenant Shannon Snuggs with the Colorado Springs Police Department's protective security section said the red light cameras are to enforce traffic safety and reduce crashes.
She said they decide where to put the cameras after looking at the top 25 intersections where accidents happen and receiving
feedback from officers. The department's major crash team said around 10% of traffic fatalities so far this year involved a red light violation.
The city's red light camera program started in 2017 and since then there have been 19 new cameras installed around town. Lt. Snuggs said these crashes can be more dangerous than a typical front-to-rear crash.
"Red light crashes are significant crashes typically when those happen that are side impact crashes. That's not where the drivers are protected or the passengers are very well protected," she said.
Last year there were over 43 thousand violation events, but less than half resulted in actual citations. The fine for a red light camera violation is $75 in Colorado Springs but it does not put any points on your driver's license. According to the city's website, the money from red light violations goes directly back to operating the same red light cameras. The additional money goes to the city's general fund but not o the police department.
Lt. Snuggs said they recently submitted plans for a 20th camera that will be installed on Woodmen Road and Campus Drive going eastbound and "will be the last one for some time." Academy Boulevard has the most amount of cameras, with seven along a stretch of 12 miles.
The city's website mentions that sometimes a camera will trigger even if a driver did not commit a violation. The website says the camera may flash if a car comes to a sudden stop before the red light or if a vehicle slows down instead of stopping as the light turns green. It's important to know that even though the camera flashes, it doesn't always result in a ticket. Staff members review each event before issuing a citation.
KOAA reached out to a lawyer with questions about if drivers are legally required to pay red light camera citations. The short answer is no.
He tells us because these citations are not delivered in person you can technically ignore them. However, the city has 90 days to send an officer to your home to deliver the citation in person, meaning you are then legally required to pay it. However, if the city doesn't act within 90 days, there is nothing they can do.
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