Driving query. Have. I been snapped by a camera?

Question

Hi. I am on vacation from the UK and was driving my rental car slowly around the beautiful streets north of Santa Monica BlVd to gawp at the houses. When I arrived at a junction on Carmelita Ave I slightly overshot the stop line and was waiting for a whole for the traffic lights to turn green so that I could turn left. While I was waiting I saw a bit flash of light in front of me from somewhere completely out of the blue. Is it likely that I was snapped by a traffic camera? I don't think I was doing anything wrong, but that was what it looked like. Are there even speed/ traffic cameras in this area? Thank you

Answer

It’s understandable to be concerned when you see a sudden flash while driving, especially in an unfamiliar city. In Los Angeles, including areas north of Santa Monica Boulevard, there are both speed and red-light cameras, but their placement is limited and generally at major intersections rather than quiet residential streets like Carmelita Avenue.

The flash you noticed could have been caused by a few things:

A red-light or speed camera: These cameras are designed to photograph vehicles that run red lights or exceed speed limits. However, most cameras are installed at larger intersections with high traffic volume, not at quiet junctions in residential areas.
A photographer or security camera: Some houses in this area have security cameras that use flashes, or there could have been a local photographer taking pictures for real estate or other purposes.
A car’s headlights or reflection: A sudden reflection from another vehicle, a reflective surface, or even sunlight can produce a flash effect similar to a camera flash.

Given your description — slowly overshooting a stop line and waiting at the traffic light — it is unlikely you triggered a traffic camera. Cameras are typically activated only when a vehicle crosses a red-light sensor or exceeds the speed limit by a set threshold. Waiting at a red light, especially if you were driving slowly, would not normally result in a photo.

Other points to keep in mind:

If a traffic camera did capture an infraction, the notice would usually be mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner. Since you are driving a rental car from the UK, any fine would be handled by the rental company and sent to you or your credit card.
Los Angeles has limited automated enforcement in residential neighborhoods; most cameras are on major roads.
It’s common for visitors to misinterpret flashes from other sources as traffic cameras, so in most cases there is no cause for concern.

In summary, while LA does have traffic cameras, it is very unlikely that a flash at a small junction like Carmelita Avenue was triggered by a traffic enforcement camera. Most likely it was something else — a reflection, a nearby security camera, or even a camera from a passing pedestrian or real estate activity.

Driving query. Have. I been snapped by a camera?

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