8/19/2005
Another Minneapolis Red Light Camera Error Caught on TapeMinneapolis, Minnesota cameras again caught giving drivers tickets even though they ran no red light.
The red light camera system in Minneapolis, Minnesota is ticketing innocent motorists for "running red lights." Last week the system was found ticketing the wrong driver. Now, video available on the KARE-11 television news website uncovers a second type of error. In the video, Don Zimmerman makes a left-hand turn just after the light had cycled from red to green. Zimmerman's car, shown, slowed at the crosswalk and did not enter the intersection until the light was green. Nonetheless, the south Minneapolis man with a spotless driving record got a $142 ticket.
Minneapolis Police Lieutenant Greg Reinhardt defends the camera program which has generated $994,000 in revenue since July 7, saying this case is a "close call" and a "technical violation." He also says that drivers will be ticketed for a split-second offense invisible to the human eye. After three-and-a-half hours, a Hennepin County hearing officer refused to drop charges and Zimmerman must go to court on September 14 to prove his innocence.