My Dashcam Catches Blatant Red Light Runner
Posted by Egkrateia@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 73 comments
We all know how common it is for drivers to run red lights in Dallas. I've almost been hit a few times, and I know people who have been T-boned because of it. I have dashcam footage of a driver running a red light a full 3 seconds after it turned red. I hate to be a tattletale, but I'm tired of these people getting away with this potentially dangerous behavior.
What can I do with the footage?
Corgisarethebest123@reddit
The first thing you should do is touch grass.
EvanOnTheFly@reddit
Nah fuck you.
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Optimal_Ice3312@reddit
I guess you could either go to the police, or do nothing. If you go to the police, it will be interesting to see if they do anything. I doubt that they will. They already don't enforce most traffic laws in Dallas. That's why we are in the situation we are in!
TeamImpossible4333@reddit
Red light cameras have been outlawed since 2019.
https://guides.sll.texas.gov/recording-laws/red-light-cameras
lovelylotuseater@reddit
Yup, IIRC it was for a lack of due process, which this would also fall under.
the-dutch-fist@reddit
Actually red light cameras are completely constitutional. My old firm neighbor repped a company that made them, and they won lawsuits all over the country. And there is clear evidence that they deterred red light running and raised a crapload of cash for the municipalities. But they are near universally despised by the public so no politician wants to defend them.
DoctorJiveTurkey@reddit
There’s also evidence that they increase rear end crashes significantly
hounddd0g@reddit
The attitude Texans have towards speeding and “freedom” are so backwards sometimes. Cameras are deterrents and save lives.
I moved somewhere with red light cams, speed cams, cell phone and seatbelt cams and you know what? I don’t do any of the above things. I don’t see many others doing them too. If you pull a stupid move, you can expect to see yourself on Dash Cams Australia being made fun of, or reported.
hisdeathmygain@reddit
Constitutional is different than legal. The constitution may be silent on the issue, but state law in Texas says otherwise. For example, the constitution does not ban murder and relies on state law to set those rules.
CrotchMcAwesome@reddit
Likelihood is they do nothing because they can't definitively say who was driving, unless the dashcam show's it in clarity. But even then I'd be surprised if they did something.
Intelligent-Read-785@reddit
A modest proposal, if Dallas is facing a budget shortfall, the City should put as much of the police force it can on traffic enforcement. It is a target rich environment out there. Perhaps give healthy bonuses to the officer with the highest conviction rate in Traffic Court?
Intelligent-Read-785@reddit
Unless you have a picture of the driver that will enable police to identify him, you have a lost cause.
Oh, by the way, you realize he was only following Dallas Traffic Laws. "If you are within 300' of an intersection with the light turns red, you still have the right of way."
radioref@reddit
There is literally nothing you can do about it - except, dream about having a huge Ford Excursion and hitting the gas every time
antipathy_moonslayer@reddit
Fantasizing about using a car as a weapon... Cool...
radioref@reddit
Put your pearls down moonslayer before you crush them.
You don't think deliberate red light runners aren't *actually* using their cars as a weapon?
zughzz@reddit
Flair checks out
antipathy_moonslayer@reddit
Yeah, no fuckin kidding.
radioref@reddit
Oh look, the standard Dallas Reddit routine where anyone with an HP flair immediately gets cast as the villain in some made-up class warfare fan fiction.
Meanwhile, I probably agree with 99% of the same things most of you do politically, socially, culturally, whatever. In real life we’d probably get along completely fine. But the second people see “Highland Park” under my name, suddenly I’m transformed into a monocle-wearing cartoon rich asshole because apparently ZIP codes are now personality types. I get it at times, but damn... it's ridiculous.
And before someone says “well that’s different,” no, it really isn’t. Judging people solely based on where they live is still stereotyping, even when Reddit decides it’s socially acceptable because the target is perceived as wealthy. Look at what happens in the Frisco and Plano forums and reflect.
The funniest part is if I removed the flair entirely, 90% of the hostility would instantly disappear because people wouldn’t have an easy little box to shove me into before I even comment.
Some of y’all genuinely need to grow up and spend less time inventing enemies in your head based on where I live.
radioref@reddit
what do you mean? Explain.
antipathy_moonslayer@reddit
No. Deliberate or not, I think it's safe to assume they're still hoping to avoid a collision.
You're doing the opposite. You're saying you dream about causing a collision on purpose. You viewing Big Car ™ as an implement of violence in some make believe vigilante crusade to stop the redlight-runner-evildoer is gross.
That's not pearl clutching. You just seem like someone who sucks.
radioref@reddit
Jesus Christ, calm down.
Nobody is “advocating vehicular violence.” The joke was that when you watch people blatantly blow red lights with zero consequences, you momentarily fantasize about being in a giant indestructible tank of an SUV and not having to slam your brakes for once. That’s called frustration and hyperbole, not a call to action to the DFW community to go out and purchase a used Excursion and start killing people.
Meanwhile, in the real world, the cops aren’t showing up over dashcam footage of random red light runners, nobody is getting prosecuted, and everybody just gets told to “drive defensively” while people keep acting like complete idiots behind the wheel.
Internet hall monitor behavior here over what was essentially a cheeky response to the OP. Stop being whiny about an obviously exaggerated joke.
zughzz@reddit
Sounds like a nightmare to me
GrandRefrigerator263@reddit
Red light runners in the comments upset
TexasBaconMan@reddit
I have heard them complain about people who get a green and immediately go which doesn't give them time to run the light?
JPhi1618@reddit
Not complaining, but I will say that these days you’re really taking a risk if you jump right out there on a green.
stopdioproll@reddit
No it’s just that nothing matters.
DrinkSodaBad@reddit
Love how they trying to bash OP but don't have the gut to say directly because they know they are wrong.
Hot-Education4582@reddit
If you have the license plate in the video, I'd give it to your local police department.
Itchy_Lab6034@reddit
If a cop doesn’t witness it it’s not a valid reason to write a ticket it’s why red light cameras are outlawed
Hot-Education4582@reddit
True, maybe they can upload it to NextDoor and see if anyone knows the driver
Itchy_Lab6034@reddit
Then what?
too-fun-sidekick@reddit
That’s against the law
hisdeathmygain@reddit
I don't think there is any reason it would be. There is no right to privacy in the middle of a roadway.
too-fun-sidekick@reddit
Uploading someone’s information to the internet with the intention of causing them harm is against the law and if harm is caused against them, you can be charged with a crime
too-fun-sidekick@reddit
If you upload it and nothing happens, nothing will happen. But if some psycho hates red light runners and goes and hurts this person - you doxxed them. Or if they somehow get fired from their job - let’s say they are a commercial driver - you doxxed them and they could sue you.
Just move on with your life
hisdeathmygain@reddit
"they could sue you" doesn't set the standard for what is and isn't against the law. You are arguing some level of recklessness or negligence if someone gets injured, but based on Torts classes in law school, that can happen with almost any action you do. In Texas, doxing is only when you post an address and/or telephone number on a publicly available website while also having to prove that there is mens rea (intent/state of mind) to cause harm or harass their household (hard to do when you don't post the address). That is not an easy standard to prove. Video of them running a redlight would not apply at all. Is it illegal? Not at all. Should you post it? That is a different question.
EvanOnTheFly@reddit
I have often thought about putting up cameras in random spots and putting a name and Shane for my neighborhood alone.
However, it's almost always mothers that are the worst. I have a feeling if I was found out I would be ostracized from them all really fast.
Right_Bike_5416@reddit
Lol is this an actual question? Are you suggesting sending a video of someone else committing a minor traffic violation to the police?
Good lord, Dallas.
therealradberry@reddit
It'd be great if people who turned in valuable footage be paid out of the ticket fee. We'd see an uptick in dashcam footage turned in. Flock cameras could then track the vehicles. Not perfect, but something has to be done. Even DART busses run red lights now
OutrageousForm2486@reddit
I could see a bot flooding the inbox with AI videos in hopes for a payout. Good luck sorting through all that footage
anyusernaem@reddit
I don’t see such blatant red light running outside of Dallas proper. Why’s that?
TheGringoOutlaw@reddit
not sure where you drive but I see it somewhat often in The Colony
Significant_Fox9290@reddit
Happens all the time up near Prosper.
Electricdragongaming@reddit
You've never been any suburb just south of i20 or Grand Prairie, have you?
Lost_Condition_9562@reddit
Do you never drive in Irving or something?
Stock_Egg_8957@reddit
Because you’re racist?
TeamImpossible4333@reddit
Really? I drive all over DFW and see it everywhere.…
wormsisworms@reddit
YouTube channel
Chemical_Support4748@reddit
Post a funniest home video
Trespeon@reddit
My question is this, if it was a FULL 3 seconds after it turned red, how did they even get pass the light? No other cars were going? They were already at the front of the pack and speeding?
It doesn’t really make sense to me, but if they did, put the video on a usb and give it to the police with the information already written out. Car make and model, car color and license plate number.
No_Refuse9952@reddit
The police usually don’t get involved unless there’s been a car accident and they need to determine what caused it. Other than that, they typically won’t do much.
mcg20k@reddit
Nothing. You could probably have a murder on camera and if you went to the cops they would just shrug and say "looks like a civil issue to me"
starsfan26@reddit
www.flocksafety.com/careers
Seriously, though, nothing.
TwerkForJesus420@reddit
If red light cameras were banned in Texas in 2019 it's highly unlikely the police would do anything with your dashcam footage.
starsfan26@reddit
And within weeks AI videos will be so convincing that responding to citizen-submitted videos will be untenable, if it’s not already.
TonyFromTheBlock@reddit
Not a damn thing.
fetfreak74@reddit
You can put it on r/dashcam and let it get picked up by compilation channels on YouTube. Then maybe somebody who knows the driver sees it and can shame them into behaving better. Other than that, it makes for a nice chunk of wasted space on your hard drive.
steelareolas@reddit
Police won’t do anything.
jtmonkey@reddit
We were hit by a red light runner. I have zero sympathy. They put my then 8 year old son in the icu for a week. He almost died due to blood loss. Your poor planning is not my problem. Leave earlier or be late. You are not more important than the person you’re going to hit or disrupt or change their entire lives because of your carelessness. And stay off your phone.
RubAnADUB@reddit
Coplogic
Arkhamguy123@reddit
Dude
munsoned79@reddit
Where’s my car 🚗
Realistic-Stop-3121@reddit
bruh
TexasBaconMan@reddit
I suggest you get over it and move on with your life.
Rubcorp_Nicole@reddit
Probably not much besides sending it to Dallas PD online. They usually won’t ticket someone off dashcam footage alone unless there was an actual crash, but it’s still worth reporting.
bl1ndside@reddit
You should join ICE. You’ll fit right in.
Carnage__Asada@reddit
Are you seriously comparing an act that puts people’s lives in actual danger to being undocumented? The fuck is wrong with you
EvanOnTheFly@reddit
Yeah fuck that dude above. Basic society rules need to be enforced.
bl1ndside@reddit
Apparently my joke didn’t clear customs.
Hot-Education4582@reddit
How is being a pos gestapo pig akin to someone potentially killing someone by running a red light?
EvanOnTheFly@reddit
Usually your neighborhood will have a safety officer assigned, sometimes they interact with you on Nextdoor.
I would suggest you find out who yours is and try to send it to them.
These people have no respect for others, the rules that make us function and keep us safe and why they are the reason we can't make progress.
fbc546@reddit
Well you can definitely watch the footage on your skate time. The city has the resources to do this, it’s called red light cameras, they were removed. If you expect anyone to review your footage you have a very misguided impression of what our city workers our doing.