How does it work?

The PHOTOSafe program is designed to reduce the number of violations by automatically capturing evidence of vehicles whose drivers violate the law. Photo enforced signs are located within 500 feet of the intersection in an effort to remind drivers to comply with the traffic signal. The enforcement cameras are only active during the red cycle of the traffic light. Vehicles that enter the intersection after the light has turned red for 0.5 or ½ second are captured.

The camera system is wired to the traffic lights and to sensors that are buried in the lanes of the roadway surface. Vehicles that cross the sensors after the light has turned red activate the system. The violating vehicle is photographed 3 times and a 12 second video of the violation captures the vehicle in motion. The first photo is taken at the stop bar as evidence to show that the light was red prior to the vehicle entering the intersection; the second photo is the vehicle's license plate for identification purposes; the third photo is taken to show evidence of the vehicle proceeding through the intersection while the light is still red. The photographed documentation of the red light violation is evidence for the police department to issue a civil penalty to the owner of the vehicle.

Sensor DiagramThe diagram is a representation of the PHOTOSafe camera systems used in the City of Chesapeake. This picture illustrates a single intersection approach with three vehicles in violation of the traffic signal. Each system contains multiple cameras that can capture multiple lane violations occurring at the same time. Drivers are reminded that our systems do capture right turn on red violations.

Show All Answers

1. Why do we need this?
2. How does it work?
3. How many intersections will be monitored?
4. Do red light running cameras really reduce crashes at intersections?
5. Do cameras photograph every vehicle passing through an intersection?
6. What kind of violation will be issued and what would the penalty be?
7. How will I know which intersections have red light cameras?
8. How is the timing interval determined between the red, yellow and green traffic lights at an intersection?
9. Isn't the main purpose of red light cameras to make money?
10. Does the system enforce running right turns on red?
11. What happens if my vehicle is caught running a red light?
12. How do I review the violation and pay the penalty?
13. Does the City of Chesapeake have a local ordinance as required by Virginia State Code 15.2-968.1?
14. Why did the City of Chesapeake give drivers a 30-day red light running warning period at the location where a camera system is activated?
15. What happens if an officer issues a summons to the driver of a vehicle and the red light camera also captures the vehicle during the red light running violation?
16. What happens when the camera captures a Chesapeake city vehicle?
17. What happens when the camera captures a commercial motor vehicle or a vehicle that is owned by a company or state or local agency that has a fleet of vehicles?
18. What if I still have additional questions?
19. What is Virginia's "Right Turn on Red" Law?
20. What is the criteria for choosing intersections for photo enforcement?
21. What is the process for the violation enforcement?
22. What is the process for viewing the violation?
23. What is the Penalty?
24. How Can I Learn More?