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Comment by Klonoar | Hacker News Reader

I remain amazed that Seattle doesn’t do this for the 99 tunnel that goes under the city. People routinely fly through there at like 40 miles over what the limit is - and due to a bus lane addition going northbound, they exit the tunnel at a high rate into some very varied traffic.

The tunnel is a toll road that’s photo enforced. Should be an easy ticket in the mail if your enter and exit time are way too close or something.

(I’m guessing it might be the age old “can’t prove it was you driving” defense?)

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> can’t prove it was you driving

They don't have to if it is a civil infraction. As I understand it, in many jurisdictions a camera ticket is a fine but no points. They just say "the owner of the car is responsible for who they allow to drive it" same as insurance liability.

At least in WA state there’s a “it wasn’t me” option to contest and the thing will just disappear.

This is what I was referring to, yes.

In Germany you get the fine with the photo where the face of the driver is very visible/recognizable 99% of the time. Even in villages have this type of cameras so they can't be expensive. Oh you get fined for driving without a seatbelt too.

The solution there is to drive a British car.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1081607/Speeding-pu...

This is where we have privacy laws. :)

Ah yes, the Shaggy Defense

Civil infractions are a giant end run around people's rights when you're talking about these size fines. They can't push it because if they do that risks ending the gravy train.

Because if they did it people would vote for it to be changed.

Do you actually live in Seattle, or are you just drive-by commenting?

Seattle is very vocal in one direction while often voting in the other. The idea of cameras for catching speeding/etc is not a new concept here and is seemingly one the public is letting police do more of.

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