USF isn't the only study that shows that. Quite a few national organizations have already shown through Objective data that accidents actually increase on average about 28% due to Red Light Cameras. So it's making the state money, and making insurance companies money. Notice that since red light cameras have gone up the average car insurance rates have been going up, have to pay more claims.

Michael, the government's purpose is indeed to keep its citizens safe. As you state, (these cameras) "do nothing to make us safe...they cause more accidents." Therefore, the government has failed in its duty. Those responsible need to be hung as traitors (or at least "fired") so they cannot continue to put the rest of our lives in peril.

Call your Representative and Senator to insist they support Rep. Campbell's bill #4011 to ban the cameras. Let them know this will affect your future votes.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

We have them everywhere in Toronto. Most people don't pay attention to them & yes, they get ticketed. I agree with them. People see a yellow light & they automatically think they have to speed to get through the light when instead they are suppose to proceed with caution or stop.

CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, I cannot believe that in Florida you are allowed to text or talk on your phone. It makes no sense. You either drive or talk not both. We drive down every year & encounter many drivers not paying attention to the road because they are busy looking at their phone & causing accidents. I agree with the cameras.

CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!!!

Amen to that!!

I totally agree about the yellow light times. More and more studies are showing that you can reduce the amount of crashes by simply adding 1 second on to yellow light times.

Michael, when Snitker talks about this...........it INFURIATES me. Increasing the yellow time doesn't make any sense at all because yellow is still green to most.

How about we use COMMON SENSE and increase the RED times by a second. You don't increase the yellow, giving people even more time to fly through the light, you increase the Red so all stopped traffic gets another second.

Doesn't this make a heckuva lot more sense? Increase the reds by at least a second so even if people do run the red light a second or two after, we could potentially avoid the Wadall incidences.

Increase the red, not the yellow.

Yellows are too short for the ACTUAL approach speeds of vehicles in most cases, because the Florida Department of Transportation changed the rules on yellow times in July 2011. This anti-safety change was likely designed to cause more camera tickets because the state gets $83 a pop from each $158 ticket - a total of $51 million last year. Yellow intervals about one second longer would be much safer and would gut the predatory revenue stream in the for-profit business of red light cameras for the state, the camera companies and the cities that have deliberately mis-engineered their lights for profits instead of for safety.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Red light cameras are used throughout the USA - I know of an instance (not in FL) when another party (not the owner) was driving a vehicle and went thru two red lights, causing two tickets to the owner of that vehicle, which then had to be paid by the owner and also went on the owner's record. That is wrong. And yes, the yellow light is too short, particularly on roads that are a higher speed and the intersections are large. We can do better than this!!

Klaus,
So its bad to be hit by a person running a red light. But it is ok, to be rearended slamming on your brakes out of fear of the red light camera? Both are bad, but if the goal is to reduce accidents then its not working.

bal;oney its nothing but a money maker for the local towns and cities of florida its all political and about cann the red ligth cameras period

Klaus, you are clearly not versed on this subject and commenting purely out of emotion using the old "If it saves even one..." cliché. Twenty bucks says you are a Liberal.

CLAP CLAP CLAP I am sick of the crazy drivers who think they can run red lights!!!!!

by your reasoning klaus, if banning cars could stop 1 accident death than it would be worth it

If you take that to the extreme there should be no cars or vehicles of any kind because that way they will not kill anybody ... the most effective & least disruptive way to reduce (you can not eliminate) red light running is enforcement with STIFF penalties.

stop tailgating and you will not run into someone stopping for a red light.

Perry,
You make the assumption some one was tailgating. What about the people who are now scared to go through yellow, or stop short. You make a sharp statement that research and data is there. So maybe pay attention to that before you make a short sighted comment.

Then stay off the roads at night and don't run the red!

It is conviction without representation. Which goes against every other law in our court system.

MD Nailed it!

Curt I agree 100%

You must be the only one. I don't know anyone in law enforcement who is against them. Besides if traffic enforcement was what it should be they would not need so many of the cameras.

For Brian Schwaab:
Two different police associations testified against a bill that would have re-introduced red light cameras in Minnesota and the bill was defeated in committee.
State Police in Michigan strongly oppose red light cameras and are very pleased that they are deemed illegal here by our attorney general.
The Pinellas County Court Clerk is very upset at all the problems the red light camera citations cause and asked for a moratorium on ticketing.
There are MANY police officers and police agencies that strongly oppose camera ticketing for profits.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

To James Walker. I don't know if Michigan's problem is as bad as it is here. We have a serious sense of driving entitlement and a get out of my way attitude here. Red lights mean Stop. Since the aggressive driving, speeding and red light violations are not being enforced, they are neccessary here. Money gets people's attention. When they start paying the red light fines then it will get them to start paying attention and put the selfish driving attitude in check. A driver's license is a priveledge and not a right.

For Brian Schwab:
When the state of Florida and its cities deliberately mis-engineer their traffic lights and posted speed limit to create more tickets, it is the governments that are wrong, not the drivers. Correct engineering solves the vast majority of the issues you mention. Bad engineering causes them AND creates the predatory environment where governments can ticket for profits. It is wrong.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Zoobiedood,
Just telling you want scientific research has shown is inaccurate? At the end of the day they claim it is about reducing accidents, but it doesn't. Second, it doesn't take in account for conditions. Also the lights that they are positioned on have yellow signals that fall well below the national safety average of time of display. But research by multiple organizations have prooven that this method is ineffective. by the way if it is red and your car is in the intersection, that is running a red light. As you say, know your laws. Would actual be in violation of this portion of the law:
Florida Statute 316.075 Traffic control signal devices "Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection."
So you were saying about people slamming on their breaks. Or people who enter on a yellow?

Tell them to shove that ticket up their arse Paula!

For now, Pasco will not because the county judge ruled them unconstitutional.

Good night John BOY!

The cameras should go because most of the people getting tickets are safe drivers tricked into split second violations (examples by 0.3 or 0.9 seconds) by the yellows that are deliberately set about one second too short. It is a for-profit scam.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

John Boy,
I want them to go, have never recieved a ticket for running a red light. Actually I follow Florida law when it comes to stop at yellow lights. So your agrument doesn't hold water.

John Macmillen. I agree with you 100% It is all about the money. Greed is alive and well!!

Amen brother!

You are right Larry Anderson!!

Call your Representative and Senator to insist they support Rep. Campbell's bill #4011 to ban the cameras. Let them know this will affect your future votes.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Legal theft is all it is. The penalty is nothing short of robbery!!

C,
Do you mean more like Waldo and Lawtey. Stake traditionally isn't that bad. Waldo and Lawtey look for anyone doing more than 1 mph over the speed limit.

Please supply information on these "study after study", I'd have seen any. I have seen lots of opinions though.

Man, how hard is it to do a simple Google search? Seriously? Is there really only a few of us capable of researching and reading?

Since Little Walton is obviously incapable......here you go, plenty of studies for you to read:
www.thenewspaper.com/news/04/430.asp

www.motorists.org/red-light-cameras/studies

Perhaps you will believe the locals:
http://www2.tbo.com/news/nation-world/2008/mar/12/na-red-light-cameras-increase-accidents-usf-study--ar-142340/

Maybe you are a Federalist and believe their findings:
www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/05049/

So what is it John Boy, remain in the fictional Walton's Mountain or join the rest of us sentient beings in reality???????

And, tragic as this accident was, it is EXTREMELY unlikely that a red light camera would have stopped the crash. The camera would have recorded it for all to see, but it would not have stopped it. Cameras have virtually no effect on drunk drivers who don't even recognize the light has been red for several seconds.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Michael is right - the govt. is hooked on the money. But it's gonna get worse. The fine will rise every year, $50 or more. If it follows the pattern seen in California, it will hit $500 in five or six years, and most of the tickets will be for rolling right turns. Already, most of the tickets go to visitors or tourists (example: last year the mayor of Hallandale revealed that 80% of the tickets there go to visitors) and Florida, a state whose economy is based upon tourism, is shooting itself in the foot by pummeling the tourists with unfair tickets.

Call your Representative and Senator to insist they support Rep. Campbell's bill #4011 to ban the cameras. Let them know this will affect your future votes.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Rob: Your story doesn't add up. If your green light had been on for just three or four seconds, how did you get so far across the intersection that all she hit was your tail? Did you jump the light, or punch it hard when you saw the green, without looking around first? Idiots like that woman will always be around (we're making more of them, every night) but you won't be for long unless you start to practice defensive driving.

As are your remarks.

Red light camera laws are set up to make challenges very difficult and/or more costly so that the ticket victims of the too-short yellow light scam will just pay up.
Call your Representative and Senator to insist they support Rep. Campbell's bill #4011 to ban the cameras. Let them know this will affect your future votes.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Hey Native, please inform all of us who want Freedom........please inform us how a CAMERA would have made ANY difference in your situation. Please....I would seriously love to see how you explain how a camera would have changed anything.

People continue with the fallacy of these "keep us safe" but I have yet to see any of these cameras stop a single person from running through the light. I do not know where these simpletons live, but where I reside, the cameras do not possess any special qualities to stop the red light runner.

Do the cameras in Bradenton emit something to actually stop the vehicles from running the lights? Perhaps something flies out of the camera to stop those from running the red light........or maybe the camera itself physically stops those from running the lights? What magical thing is being done by these cameras to save lives..............I want to know Native.....please enlighten us who live in reality.

Safety......give me a break. These cameras do NOTHING to increase safety. Next you are going to tell me the TSA keeps us safe by herding everybody into a group.....usually larger than the one on the plane.

When they herd us into a large group, it actually makes us less safe it a terrorist really wanted to kill some people. Let's see.....attempt to get past "security" to blow up a plane with 100 people or simply walk into the airport and kill as many or more by simply detonating in the TSA cattle line. WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Native: Before you begin a left turn, you are supposed to look to see if the opposing traffic has stopped. That's called defensive driving. Evidently you did not do that. I bet from now on you will. And I hope you use the close call to educate your children of driving age.

Native, there have been a number of deaths statewide where red light cameras were in place. How did the red light camera make anyone safer in these instances? They didn't, people who are going to run red lights are going to run them irregardless of the cameras. You can't fix stupid with a red light camera, it is more about the $51 million the state collects, the millions the municipalities get for creating city codes that allow the cameras and all the monies the vendors make. If red light cameras are so effective in making us safer why do revenues collected stay the same or increase in the majority of cities? And many of these cities shorten yellow light times to increase the number of violations. How is that fair or legal?

Native:
Use your clout and connections as a native to get the city to fix that intersection. They should:
Paint "signal ahead" on the pavement - and maintain it over the coming years,
Put larger backboards on the signals, particularly the ones controlling 43rd
Put up larger name signs for the streets.
Put bigger bulbs in the street lights, just at the intersection.
These things make the intersection more obvious, less likely that someone will run it. And they are very cheap and can be done immediately.
There is one more thing they need to do, but it will take longer. They need to add two more street light poles, at the intersection.
If the city says they cannot afford to do these things, point them to page 3 of their annual CAFR audit (available on the city's website) which says (on page 3) that they have $19,437,408 of unassigned funds - in other words, Mad Money. Be persistent.

I am not for the cameras either, but to get my vote, one has to prove they have a way to make up the income, and they are more than a 1 issue candidate. What else have they done?

Samuel, thank you for posting this. I look forward to meeting you.

Zoobiedood, I am more than willing to sit down with you and speak about my entire platform. If you'd like to set up the meeting please email me at mjmalterer@gmail.com

That should work. Allow another ten cars to run the light.

Yes, they are unfair, harassing, and dangerous but only if you are a red light runner.

Call your Representative and Senator to insist they support Rep. Campbell's bill #4011 to ban the cameras. Let them know this will affect your future votes.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Philadelphia has cleared over $20 million with their red light cameras by setting the yellow intervals just a bit too short. It works very well in Philadelphia - TO MAKE MONEY - but one second longer yellows would produce more safety in that city.
It is the essence of the scam. Set the yellows for the posted limit which is set artificially low (average of 10 mph below actual traffic speeds), put up a red light camera, and open a BIG bank account to collect the scam money.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Those signs are ignored too! Why post the signs anyway?

@John Boy... Well, by that logic, why have the red lights, too? In fact, why have ANY laws at all??

S. Ripley - YOU ARE AN IDIOT! LOOK at all the safety studies that have been done - NONE have proven to actually LOWER accident rates.

As for comparison to GUN CONTROL, you are even stupider.... The 2nd Amendment is CONSTITUTIONAL - "light laws' are put in place by idiots like you.

@Brian Maday... Hey, behave yourself! There's no reason to call anyone names or insult anyone here. We're having a polite discussion of an important issue, not a barroom brawl, OK? Shame on you!!

The Florida Department of Transportation changed the rules in July 2011 to allow cities to deliberately set the yellows too short for the ACTUAL approach speeds of vehicles. This creates thousands of camera tickets for safe drivers tricked into split second violations by the deliberately too short yellows. The state then gets $83 a pop from each $158 ticket - a total of $51 million last year. It is a scam.

Call your Representative and Senator to insist they support Rep. Campbell's bill #4011 to ban the cameras. Let them know this will affect your future votes.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Not going to say what most people are thinking about you about now S. Ripley. Think you already know or suspect who and what you are. Have a nice day!

Agreed, James- red light cameras are not a bad thing in and of themselves, it is the implementation piece that is truly rotten. MORE time must be given for yellow lights to avoid the increase in rear ending accidents, not less. The aims of RLC programs are ridiculously transparent and create an adversarial relationship between the government and the people it serves. Representatives, please remember that structure! You are here to serve US, not the other way around. We are the customers in this relationship and your service, frankly, sucks. If safety was the primary concern, then perhaps a non-financial remedy should be the penalty like mandatory 4 hour traffic school, or points for repeat offenders (3 times? 4?) We have all had close calls with red light runners, and defensive driving is the best thing you can do for yourself to ensure your and your family's personal safety. Don't jump green lights!! Don't roll through right on reds, stop and LOOK. These are not actions meant to hinder you, they are meant to keep you alive. Isn't your life worth more than the few seconds it takes to watch out for yourself??

Hi James! This is Theile Riordan from the Republican Liberty Caucus of Tampa Bay. We recently wrote up an article on RLC in Florida and it's getting some attention. I hope you don't mind but I'd love to include your comment on our article. If you have any objections or questions, please let me know.

For TJ Riordan: If you include all of my comment, including my identification -- I would be delighted to have you include it in your write up.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Jimmy,
Is an officer's judgement the same as an RLC? I would certainly hope not. Because the human element is involved, and the officer can take the conditions into account. Which the cameras do not. Not to say a police officer is always the best judgement as well. Overall I would believe it would be vastly more reliable. There is no way for the RLC to take into account all the variables that can be part of the equation. Also through a ticket of a police officer there is a obvious form of appeal that doesn't automatically mean the user is paying twice the amount for the same infraction, because it forces them to be inviolation of the law for not paying a ticket on time. Also an officer will get the lincense of the driver, not the owner of the car. Ticketing someone who is potentially not in the vehicle is questionable, especially being you are already guilty without being able to represent yourself. Those are just a few of the issues.

The cop's judgment doesn't take place in a vacuum. It happens in a real world where for a motor officer there are considerations like, "Have I written enough tickets today to keep my boss off my back?" In other words, there are quotas. With red light cameras cop the quota is that he must approve enough tickets - often for borderline violations - to pay the monthly rent for the cameras plus overhead.
The existence of those quotas makes BOTH cops unreliable.

The National Motorists Association does not advocate illegally destroying the cameras. We urge people to get involved calling and contacting their state and local officials to insist the predatory cash-grab red light camera be removed.

Politicians like the cash-grab revenue stream from the cameras, but they love being able to be re-elected more. If enough people let the officials know this issue will affect their future votes, we can get the predatory cameras removed.

James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Lakeland DID vote for revenue, not fairness. They don't care at all about the objections of citizens to the predatory cash-grab cameras.

The only option is to vote out these people at the next election.

James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

For George Martin:
FIRST you would have to get the yellow intervals timed properly for the actual approach speeds of vehicles before escalating the penalties.
SECOND you would have to pass a law like Tennessee's to prohibit camera ticketing of right on red turns because this action only causes 0.06% of all fatalities and 0.4% of all crashes, so ticketing slow rolling right on red turns is at least 99.6% and as much as 99.94% about money, not safety.
If you want to put in heavy penalties for people who enter five or more seconds into the red and risk t-bone crashes - FINE.
But if you want to collect $158 a pop for safe drivers who commit technical fouls at mis-engineered intersections - NO WAY.
Red light cameras need to be banned statewide and people should call their Representatives and Senators to urge them to actively support bill #4011 to ban the cameras.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

KOD, fact of the matter is, there is no proof that supports the use of cameras as a safety mechanism. Also, did you know that it will also get you a ticket for turning right on red, if you slow roll the stop? Can someone tell me how that is a safety concern? You can't, cause most people, including police never fully stop for a right hand turn. I don't run red lights, and I do think it is a violation that deserves a ticket, however, I am more fearful of what comes next? Do you not see the presidence this sets? You really want government to invade your life?

For KOD:
Set the yellows correctly long and most of those violations never happen. Cameras require deliberately improper and less safe traffic light timing to make profits.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

Here is what you do... YOU SUPPORT HB 4011! http://rlctb.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/HB-4011-Ban-Red-Light-Cameras-In-Florida.pdf

IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF BEING REAR ENDED - YOU MAY BE DRIVING TOO FAST TO BEGIN WITH.

I don't think the CONSTITUTION sides with your idea! Hell! I don't think it sides with most of liberal dem party, let alone our idiot in chief! I can not wait for the revolution! : )

If your boyfriend was driving your car you need to sign an affidavit that your boyfriend was driving the car and he would then be responsible for paying the violation fine. If the fine is paid within the allotted time no points are assessed against his or your record as the notification of violation is for breaking a city ordinance. If you decide to take it to court by not paying fine, the violation then becomes a Uniform Traffic Citation and if you lose in court the fine becomes $264 and points will be assessed. If I were you, I'd go check the timing of the yellow light by taking video footage of the light in question and simalar lights in the immediate area with the same speed limit. If the speed limit at the red light camera intersection is 45 mph the yellow should be 4.5 seconds long. If is less than that, I would consider taking it to court as many are having their cases thrown out by sensible judges. Of course, no one is assured of getting a judge that is sensible in these matters.

The next week after I got one of these mailed fines for a light on Cortez Rd., I was in Sarasota & noticed that the timing had also been changed on the Tuttle/Fruitville Light so it is apparent that they have changed the timing on the misc. lights to generate revenue. I was not the driver on mine either - it was my son but he was driving me so I went ahead & pd. the fine.

Red light running is one thing...yes, it is a dangerous infraction. I still do not agree with a camera as the authorized creator of the infraction....but, what gets under my skin more, is, right turn on red tickets! These cameras also ticket for the California Stop! In other words, if you come to a red light and are turning right....if you do note make a complete stop....you will get a ticket....how dangerous is a right turn on red? As far as I am concerned, it is not dangerous to anybody...this is just local government theft!

For Patriot: Correct on the right turn tickets, they are 99.94% about MONEY, not safety. NHTSA data says only 0.06% of traffic injuries and fatalities happen with right on red turns - legal or illegal ones.
Contact your state Representatives and Senators to tell them you want the cameras either banned or restricted very severely - to include no camera tickets for right on red turns.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

For Zigsauered: The best of these I ever saw were in Havana. They count down all three phases - red, green, yellow - in color.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association

I don't drive around in Bradenton much but the ticket I got was on Cortez & 53rd light I believe. So I don't know about other areas there. This past week I did not see many of the cameras when I was in Sarasota so maybe they took those down. They do have them in Venice but I haven't noticed that any of them have been doing the "re-timed" thing there.