Washington Court Dismisses Class Action Lawsuit against Redflex Traffic Systems

PHOENIX, AZ—March 4, 2010—Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc., the largest provider of automated enforcement systems for roads and highways in the U.S., announced that a federal court in Washington has dismissed in its entirety a putative class action lawsuit against the company alleging that the automated enforcement programs violate state law and are unconstitutional.

On June 25, 2009, a group of plaintiffs in Washington filed a class action lawsuit against Redflex Traffic Systems. Plaintiffs alleged that the automated enforcement programs were illegal because of excessive fines, failure to obtain approval of infraction forms and improper stop-loss contractual provisions.

On March 2, 2010, United States District Court Judge John C. Coughenour granted Redflex’s dismissal motion on all claims with prejudice, entering judgment in Redflex’s favor. The Court found that Plaintiffs misinterpreted the law, determining that the fine amounts are not excessive, the infraction forms comply with state law and that stop-loss provisions were permissible under state law. As a result, the Court ruled that the Automated Traffic Safety Camera programs enacted by municipalities in the state of Washington are consistent with state law and the constitution. This is consistent with Bell v. Redflex Traffic Sys. Inc., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 85263, *7 (E.D. Tex. 2009) where it was stated “Plaintiffs do not have a legally protected right to engage in illegal conduct and be free from the consequences of that activity.”

“This ruling once again negates unfounded claims against intersection safety camera programs and their legality,” said Karen Finley, President and CEO of Redflex Traffic Systems. “With each case, we close the gap on unconstitutionality claims and leave less room for argument about the documented public safety benefits this technology provides in reducing preventable fatalities on our roads.”

Red light camera programs have proven to drastically decrease the incidence of red light running and collisions all over the nation. Annually, an estimated 153,000 people are injured in red light running accidents. According to the Federal Highway Administration, 97% of drivers feel that other drivers running red lights are a major safety threat and one in three people claim they personally know someone injured or killed in a red light running crash. In a recent nationwide opinion poll, voters showed 80% support of the red light cameras as a safety tool*.

*APCO Nationwide Poll, December 2009