Alex, I think the problem in Minnesota is that no photo proving owner and driver identical is required. I was speaking, without specifying (oops), about California ... where, here in the Golden State, such photo confirmation of driver=owner is necessary.

They just put the first cameras in Modesto a few months ago, and it really has had an effect. I just don't drive through those intersections anymore. I don't think it will have an effect to curbing the bad drving in our city, that's for sure. You think LA is bad, wait until you drive my city, it has no crosstown Freeways or or expressways whatsoever and it just get's worse.

Bakersfield has the cameras popping up all over town, though mostly on my side of town.

Right after the first one went in, I was sitting, waiting for a green to turn left, when the lights changed. I watched cars lighting them up trying to stop in time. After a week it was hard to see where to stop because all of the skid marks covered the white paint. The City used to announce when a new camera goes up, but that stopped after the first year.

There is no proof that the owner of a car was driving when photographed by a red-light camera. They know there was a driver in the car. They know there is an owner of the car. They know that driver might be the owner, but they don't know for sure. If they do not investigate and prove the owner of the car is in fact the driver, and then they go ahead and charge the owner anyway, then the owner is being presumed guilty and being deprived of due process. Frankly I am surprised it has taken this long to get it stopped.

As I mentioned above, at least in CA, they do ask if you were driving the vehicle when they send you the citation. If you don't respond with information otherwise, then they assume you were the driver.

But they don't have to PROVE it's you.

In California, do they go against your Drivers License 'points' or insurance? That was one thing in Oregon when they installed the cameras for speed and red lights - they didn't count against as a moving violation that affected your insurance (Oregon doesn't do the points thing, or at least didn't when I last dealt with the DMV there).

Yes and yes, unless you opt for traffic school and it is available to you (as in, you haven't already been for a while.), then, there is no effect on your insurance or record.

If you do the traffic school route, it doesn't affect your insurance, but it is still on your DMV record.

It's no different than any other moving citation. By not appearing in court, you waive the right to challenge, but the right is there. If you exercise that right and appear in court, then the burden is on the agency that cited you to prove it.