BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Red light cameras at certain New Jersey intersections take photos of traffic violations that occur there and mail tickets to the owner of the offending vehicle.

The company that runs the not-so-popular system will be repaying motorists who were unfairly ticketed, according to terms of the preliminary settlement of a class-action lawsuit.

According to an Associated Press report on abclocalgo.com, the lawsuit, filed in 2012, said the red light cameras did not account for average road speeds and did not allow drivers enough time to apply the brakes. Motorists in 18 towns who received tickets before August of last year and paid the fine would be eligible for reimbursement.

American Traffic Solutions would be paying the eligible plaintiffs from a $4.2 million fund. The 18 who joined the original lawsuit would receive paybacks of up to $200, according to an Associated Press report on nj1015.com.

ATS has not admitted any liability in the case. The company has also agreed to make an educational video about the operation of the red light cameras available to the towns.

An Associated Press story on CBS New York reported that the 18 communities involved are Brick, Deptford, East Brunswick, East Windsor, Jersey City, Lawrence, Linden, Glassboro, Gloucester Township, Monroe, Palisades Park, Piscataway, Pohatcong, Rahway, Roselle Park, Union, Wayne and Woodbridge.

As of May 2012, 83 intersections in 25 municipalities were using the cameras, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.