923
Traffic Camera Captures Woman Driving With Her Phone on Her Lap (Face Down), The State Mailed Her a $1251 'Public Safety' Ticket (www.gadgetreview.com)
submitted 2 days ago by spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works to c/technology@lemmy.world
271 comments fedilink hide all child comments

A woman drives with both hands on the wheel. Her phone sits face-down on her lap. No officer pulls her over. No lights flash. Weeks later, a $1,251 ticket arrives in the mail. The evidence: a single frame from a Camera surveillance app. The charge: phone use while driving.

Automated camera companies market their devices as automated license plate readers — tools for catching stolen cars, flagging warrants, and aiding serious investigations.

Sold as a Crime Tool. Used as a Fine Machine.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] aquovie@lemmy.cafe 2 points 1 day ago

Have you ever fought a traffic ticket? You’re not on trial. You’re not pleading guilty/not-guilty. It’s an administrative/civil thing.

[-] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 3 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

Every traffic ticket in the US I've seen requires you to check a box to plead before you pay it (assuming you aren't fighting it). When you pay it, you are either pleading guilty or no contest. If you go to your court date instead you get asked to enter a plea and it can be not guilty.

Granted, I haven't been ticketed in all 50 states... yet.

Edit: Apparently the click-bait headline is referencing a person from Australia, despite the rest of the article talking about US law... No idea how traffic tickets work there...

[-] Folstar@lemmus.org 2 points 22 hours ago

#lifegoals

[-] Pacattack57@lemmy.world 3 points 23 hours ago

To be clear I live in Texas so maybe we do things differently wherever you live. We definitely go to court and plead for traffic violations.

[-] aquovie@lemmy.cafe 1 points 21 hours ago

MA. Tickets have "I'd like to pay" or "I'd like a hearing". No mention of guilt.

Hearings are civil, not criminal, and you represent yourself in front of a magistrate (baby judge). If you tried to represent yourself in a criminal case, the judge would give you a very hard time about that choice. Either way, you don't call witnesses, there's no cross examination, and no discovery.

I don't get where people are going full Law&Order, demanding to see their accuser.

this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2026
923 points (96.9% liked)

Technology

86304 readers
3650 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related news or articles.
  3. Be excellent to each other!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
  10. Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.

Approved Bots

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemmy.world
technopagan@lemmy.world
L4s@lemmy.world
L3s@hackingne.ws