Better watch out for camera lenses the next time you blow through a red light in California. The state's police force has become notorious for doling out red-light camera fines so high that they've become an $80 million source of public revenue, GasBuddy.com reports.The typical fine for these violations is $480 – nearly twice the second-highest fine in the U.S. ($250), according to traffic site TheNewspaper.com. A single camera in Oakland, Calif. reels in $3 million per year. "I think we'd all be better off without (red light cameras)," said Roger Jones, a Fremont, Calif. resident who created the Red Light Camera Protest Group. "There are better ways to address the problem." Jones has lobbied to give drivers longer yellow-light time frames and succeeded in convincing his hometown to tack an extra seven-tenths of one second to its yellow lights, the San Francisco Chronicle's Kevin Fagan reports. The result has been a 62 percent drop in red-light tickets. But police argue the cameras have been a huge contributor to a drop in motor vehicle accidents, catching more violations than a patrol car could ever manage alone. Forget about the fact that more than half of the $480 fine goes directly into the cities' pockets. A Fremont police officer told Fagan the red lights are there for one reason alone: safety."This is not a big moneymaker for us," said Sgt. Mark Riggs, who claims his department makes about $250,000 off the cameras annually, after the city government and camera manufacturers take their cut.According to his department, the cameras have resulted in a 40% drop in intersection accidents since they were installed in 2000. California hasn't garnered a reputation as a motorist-friendly state in recent years.State legislators introduced a new law in October that would punish tax violators by confiscating their driver's licenses and new businesses that help drivers get tickets dismissed have cropped up all over the state. Now see the best credit cards to help you save at the pump >Please follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.Join the conversation about this story »See Also:Heads Up: Gas Prices Could Skyrocket To $6 Per Gallon By SpringSallie Mae Has Been Deleting Facebook Comments To Make People Forget About The Latest Fee Outrage7 Money Tips For Couples Starting A Family
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