Stop or pay up!
That's how it is now in one Bucks County municipality as it hands out citations for drivers running red lights on camera at two busy intersections.
Bensalem police warned drivers that the 60-day grace period for red light camera enforcement in all directions at the Street and Knights roads intersection and the northbound and southbound directions of U.S. Route 1 at Old Lincoln Highway, ended at 12:01 a.m. on June 1, 2024.
"If you commit a red light violation on June 1 and beyond, the vehicle's owner will receive a civil violation in the mail for $100," Bensalem police wrote on social media.
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Bensalem Township leaders said they selected the intersections because they have the largest number of crashes during the past five years.
"This civil violation does NOT affect your driving record, insurance rates, or CDL status," police noted when they announced the red light program.
Police have issued more than 7,500 warnings over the past couple months.
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"It will deter people from disregarding the steady red signals, and blowing the red lights," Bensalem Police Department Director William McVey recently said on "The Mayor's Show." And over time we’re gonna see a reduction in accidents, fatalities and pedestrians being struck. So, it’s a big improvement that we need.”
We’re told all photos and videos of cars will be reviewed by officers. They said it needs to be a clear cut violation in order to receive a fine.
Will the threat of less money in pockets make people actually drive safer? It depends on who you ask.
"I hope so," said one woman.
"My opinion, no," said another driver. "Cause you got a bunch of lunatics out here on the roads that really don’t care about others. So I’m just telling you the truth.”
"I don’t think it’s fair," driver Michael Moore -- who claims he already owes hundreds in tickets -- said. "But, I’ll tell you what, I think there’s a lot less accidents. They do work. Do I like them? No I don’t like them."
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