Okay, with all due respect, are you one of the one-sided technical types who I am going to be glad to disappoint when I quash this so-called "offense"?
So, if I was a perfectly programmed robot I may be able to achieve those one-sided exact calculations. Problem is that I am human. Humans are plagued with something called reaction-time, which on average regarding amber light signals can be around 1.2 to 1.5 seconds. With an amber light set at 4 seconds, one traveling 50km per hour, has about 182ft worth of stopping distance vs time to stop. Now, subtract the 1.5 seconds for reaction and action time, you now have only 2.5 seconds to stop. Therefore you have a distance around 113.75ft to stop. The average stopping distance for a car traveling at 50km per hour is between 109-115ft (I already mentioned mine is above average in weight). Therefore, one who meets a yellow light at that exact distance, would not have enough distance or it'd pretty close to not having enough distance to safely stop. Add 4 people and luggage in already heavy car, and I think it is fair to say that an experienced one may not feel safe stopping their car based in that visual distance.
{Would have I been traveling (the already tough to stop at offense speed) of 50km/h? Probably not, I tend to drive over by 5-10...sometimes 15. Oh and did I mention this was a downhill intersection too? According to the ticket I definitely was not going 50km when entering the intersection, which may have been due to the fact that since I didn't have time to stop, I increased speed to avoid risk of any red-light infraction. This makes it even harder for me to have conformed to the safe- stopping distance. Therefore unsafe to stop... I would even be willing to take a conviction of speeding by 10 over in the zone than this ridiculous $325 charge.}
Additionally, eyes are not fixated on signal lights at ALL times when approaching intersections, to me that would be more of an offense, seeing as I am supposed to check mirrors and my surroundings constantly. So with all that, and for those who witness a red light camera warning sign, they have quite the decision to make, and instead of having someone ram their car from behind, they may actually speed up to avoid a ticket. Oh and my car is notorious for having rear gas tank explosions if hit, so I must consider that too.
According to the document I crossed the red-light with less than a second (0.9) of the signal appearing, therefore no one who was following rules was in danger as the light would not have even changed green for the perpendicular flow of traffic. So no one (obeying all laws) should have been in danger, like they would have been had I tried to slam on the brakes with a heavy car, 4 occupants and luggage and patches of water on the road, not to mention cracks and lumps that the government doesn't fix which is clearly visual in the photo.
I think that for a fine of $325 bucks, one better be pulled over by a police officer, who was there to monitor the situation, not a camera timed to shoot a picture, if a car passes a sensor. not a camera and system that could quite very well have malfunctioned and had a shortened yellow light. Do you expect people to believe amber was 4 seconds just from a print-out I received in the mail?
I should-time this light, and if shortened and not inline with "offense" file a counter-suit for wrongly accused or entrapment.
And again, prove that for any red light camera victim that they should have felt it safe to stop, a photograph cannot prove what the human factor conditions were at the time. (Unless of course, and for example,there is a truck up their cars backside).
A yellow light's timing should only be deemed safe if it follows two criteria:
1. A car in a "perfect" situation can pass the light at the published speed without it changing to red. Which due to calculations this light if at 4 seconds passed.
2. A car can safely stop in the minimum distance (about 113ft in this case with reaction time considered) which is pretty damn close to saying no margin for error. I don't believe 4 seconds at minimum distance is enough to safely allow cars to stop.
And if you want to stop "T" Bone accidents, lengthen yellow lights, and increase signal switch-over time. Don't threatening drivers with a $325 fine, which I always see cause drivers to slam on breaks, or floor it through the intersection.
Thank you for the comments, but I would like to know if anyone knows the answer to my original question about the location not being clear on the photograph. Thanks again to all!