How to check if you've been caught by a red light camera

It’s the not-knowing that’s the mental killer, isn’t it? And we’ve all been there. You were just driving along, when suddenly, there’s a flash from a camera as you pass through an intersection. Was it you? What have you done wrong?

The reality is, of course, that you should always have a good idea of what’s going on around you in a car and that relates to other cars, traffic conditions, road conditions and what things like traffic lights and signs are telling you at the time.

But to err is human, and we all lapse from time to time, perhaps through fatigue, information overload or a distraction such as a pedestrian or scooter rider who can’t be trusted not to stray into your lane.

How to check red light camera fine status

But what about when you suspect you might have crossed into the intersection after the red light? How can you check to see whether you’ve been busted? What’s the typical response to the internet search of 'how to check if I got a red light ticket'?

The short answer is you can’t. Fundamentally, you have to wait for the fine notice to arrive in the mail, because the states and territories have no mechanism for allowing to check prior to this.

It’s the same with fixed and mobile speed camera fines, too. Even if you have an account with your local registration and licensing authorities where you can check your demerit points, this won’t give you any joy either.

That’s because the demerit points aren’t added to your license until the matter has been settled. That is, until the guilty driver has been singled out and the fine paid. You can try to phone the authorities, but since there’s no dedicated hotline for this information, you won’t do any good.

Get proactive for peace of mind

But there is something you can do if you’re wondering whether a camera has caught you hopping through a red light. Provided you know precisely the location of the intersection you suspect might have nabbed you, you can go to the street-view section of a global mapping website, find the intersection and have a good online snoop around for evidence of a camera lurking near the traffic lights or on a street corner.

Combine this search with a look at the list of red light camera locations as published by most of the state traffic authorities, and you might just find that, even though you may have transgressed by a fraction of a second, there’s no red light camera installed at that intersection in the first place.

This is by no means suggesting you should ever run a red light, but if it takes away some mental stress at the time, perhaps it’s a benefit to the person who has made an honest mistake.

What triggers the cameras?

While a lot of people think an orange light is their cue to speed up and beat the red, in fact, the law states that an orange light means stop, provided it’s safe to do so.

So what will trigger the red light camera; an orange (amber) or red light? The law is written slightly differently in some states, but fundamentally, the car’s rear wheels need to be past the white stop line at the intersection before the red light appears.

If they’re not, the camera will take a photo and a fine will be issued. Get over the stop line while the light is still orange and, technically, no offence has occurred. As far as a speed camera is concerned, anyway; a real life police officer who has seen you storming the amber light might take a different view.

It's a bit less convoluted in, say, SA, where the offence is committed if any part of the car crosses the unbroken white stop line after the light has gone red.

In practice, it’s a very fine line. And unlike some speeding offences where the speed will be reduced by a few per cent or drivers may be given a small speed tolerance before the fine is issued, there’s no such leniency with a red light camera.

In fact, a vehicle crossing the stop line just fractions of a second after the red light has shown will be photographed and a fine issued.

Is it all as simple as that?

Not always, and you might just find there are some circumstances where a red light camera has issued a fine you might be able to challenge in writing or in court.

If, for instance, you were avoiding a road-rage confrontation or rushing a colleague to hospital after a work accident, you might find a magistrate will see your side of things.

Similarly, if another incident at the intersection made it unsafe to stop behind the stop line, you might have a case.

In some states, too – namely NSW, SA and QLD – it’s potentially legal to roll through a red light if it’s safe to do so to make passing space for an emergency vehicle with its lights and sirens switched on. The same does not go for VIC, WA, TAS and in the NT and ACT, the legislation seems to give no clear answer.

Then, of course, there’s the case where it might have been your car that triggered the red light camera to flash, but it wasn’t you driving. Provided you’re prepared to name the actual driver at the time, there’s a paperwork process that varies a bit from state to state that allows you to do this.

The bottom line

The only sure-fire way to know a red light camera has snapped you is when the fine and demerit points notice arrives in the mail. This can take a few days to several weeks depending on the state or territory

Penalties vary, but the average fine seems to be about $400 to $500 with three demerit points added to your licence. You can add a $100 or more and even an extra demerit point in the offence occurred in a school zone.