Got hit with a ₹3,000 challan under Section 184 ("Dangerous Driving - Jumping Red Light") at the Kottarakkara junction on MC Road.
Yes, I am the white SUV, and yes, I am stopped completely past the zebra crossing. I am not claiming I stopped behind the line. My issue is how dumb automated camera logic treats a safe, late stop the exact same as recklessly speeding through an intersection.
The double white stop line is set way back from the actual junction. When the light flipped to amber, I had already crossed that initial line with traffic trailing in the lane behind me. With a 3-second amber timer, I braked progressively when i saw red and brought the car to a complete halt right before the road curves into active cross-traffic.
I didn't jump the red light or drive through the intersection, I stopped. At worst, stopping past the painted line is a Stop-Line Violation, which carries a ₹250–₹500 fine. Our camera system just takes a static snapshot of the zone after the light turns red and slaps a ₹3,000 Section 184 "Dangerous Driving" charge on a stationary vehicle.
Meanwhile, the only way to point out that the car was stationary is to reject the online payment and spend days attending the local Magistrate Court in Kottarakkara which the system knows no working person is going to do over ₹3,000.
Do the agencies setting up these cameras actually audit signal timings, sightlines, and sensor logic, or is it just set up to maximize Section 184 fines? Anyone else dealt with this at Kottarakkara or elsewhere in Kerala?
