Mixed Reviews on Florida Red Light Camera Effectiveness

Attorney George Williamson.

Earlier this year, Florida law makers approved red light cameras to ticket drivers who illegally run red lights. The law caps fines for running red lights at $158 — $100 of which goes to the state’s general-revenue fund, $45 goes to the community where the red light was run, $10 to the state’s Department of Health, and $3 to the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund. The law took effect July 1 and cameras went up in counties around the state shortly thereafter. Now, statistics are coming back on the program and are raising many questions regarding the effectiveness of the cameras.

“The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported this week that in West Palm Beach, injuries have increased fivefold at the city’s four camera intersections compared with the same period last year. The city has been making $10,000 per month on camera fines, and the number of accidents at the camera intersections decreased to 26 compared with 38 a year earlier. . . . But rear-end collisions increased from 13 to 17, and the number of recorded injuries rose. That’s exactly what has happened in other communities around the nation that have installed the cameras — T-bone collisions declined, but rear-end collisions increased as people slammed on their breaks to avoid running a red.” EDITORIAL: Red lights, black ink

Charlotte County commissioners have said they have no plans to install the cameras.