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Red Light Photo Enforcement

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1. What is red light running?

A violation occurs when a motorist enters an intersection some time after the signal light has turned red. Motorists inadvertently in an intersection when the signal changes to red (waiting to turn left, for example) are not red light runners. View the Statement of Technology

2. What is the penalty for running a red light?

The penalty for a convicted red-light violation is one point on the driver’s DMV record and as of 2011 the minimum fine is $480.

Traffic school is an option for those who meet the court requirements, and information can be obtained through the San Mateo County Superior Court at https://www.sanmateocourt.org/traffic.

If you have received a red light citation at an intersection equipped with digital video, you can contact Red Light Enforcement in San Mateo, by calling 650-522-7747 or sending an email to redlightphoto@cityofsanmateo.org. View the Video Violation Online

3. What does a red light violation look like?

Use the link below to view a sample violation. View Sample Violation

4. What do I do if I receive a violation in the mail?

If you received a red light violation in the mail, follow the instructions on the violation or use the website below. PhotoNotice

5. Where are the cameras located?

There are three cameras in the City of San Mateo. They are located at the following intersections:

• EB Hillsdale Blvd to NB Saratoga Drive: Activated 04/05


• SB Saratoga Drive to EB & WB Hillsdale Blvd: Activated 04/05


• EB Hillsdale Blvd to S. Norfolk Street: Activated on 07/05


• WB Hillsdale Blvd to S. Norfolk Street: Activated on 07/05


• EB 4th Avenue to Humboldt Street: Activated on 10/06

6. Does the American public support the use of red light cameras?

Like other government policies and programs, camera enforcement requires acceptance and support among the public as well as elected leaders. Some opponents of automated enforcement raise the "big brother" issue to stir up disapproval, and voters in a few cities have rejected cameras.

Still, acceptance of cameras always has been strong. A 2011 the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety survey in 14 big cities with longstanding red light camera programs found that two-thirds of drivers support their use. A 2002 nationwide survey sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 75 percent of drivers supported red light cameras.

7. Who runs red lights?

The Institute created a profile of red light runners by studying driver behavior at an Arlington, Virginia, intersection equipped with a red light camera. The 1996 study compared red light runners with motorists who had an opportunity to run a red light but did not. As a group, red light runners were younger, less likely to use safety belts, had poorer driving records, and drove smaller and older vehicles than drivers who stopped for red lights. Red light runners were more than three times as likely to have multiple speeding convictions on their driver records. No gender differences were found between violators and drivers who did not run red lights.

8. Is red light running a big problem?

Red light runners cause hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries each year. In 2009, 676 people were killed and an estimated 130,000 were injured in crashes that involved red light running. About 1/2 of the deaths in red light running crashes are pedestrians, bicyclists, and occupants in other vehicles who are hit by the red light runners.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety study of urban crashes found that those involving drivers who ran red lights, stop signs and other traffic controls were the most common type of crash (22%). Injuries occurred in 39% of the crashes in which motorists ran traffic controls.

A study conducted during several months at 5 busy intersections in Fairfax, Virginia, prior to the use of red light cameras found that, on average, a motorist ran a red light every 20 minutes at each intersection. During peak travel times, red light running was more frequent. Analysis of red light violation data from 19 intersections without red light cameras in 4 states found that 1,775 violations occurred over 554 hours, for a violation rate of 3.2 per hour per intersection.

In a 2010 telephone survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 93% of drivers said it's unacceptable to go through a red light if it's possible to stop safely, but one-third reported doing so in the past 30 days. In a 2011 Institute survey in 14 large cities (population greater than 200,000) with long-standing red light camera programs, 82% of drivers believed running red lights is a serious threat to their personal safety, and almost all (93%) believed running red lights is unacceptable. Still, 7% of drivers said that they had driven through a light after it had turned red at least once in the past month.

Additional Safety information about Red light violations can be found at the U.S Department of Transportation: Federal Highway Administration and/or California Department of Motor Vehicles websites.

For more information regarding your citation options: San Mateo Superior Court Traffic Division

9. What other countries use red light cameras?

Red light cameras have been used in at least 33 foreign countries since the 1970s.Countries that use red light cameras include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.