Pull up to a traffic light as it’s turning yellow and it’s likely the urge to gun it will be squelched by the knowledge that Big Brother is watching.
After all, most Tampa Bay area counties and many cities have red light cameras installed at major intersections. Those cameras enable local governments and the state to keep an eye out for red light violators. They also provide a record of violations that allows costly tickets to be issued to motorists who run red lights.
At $158 a pop, according to The Tampa Tribune, those tickets can add up fast. The state collected about $51 million last year alone thanks to red light cameras.
The problem is that while law enforcement says the cameras are working to deter drivers from gunning it at lights, possibly causing accidents as they do, the use of cameras has stirred up controversy. Motorists hate them, some question their Constitutionality and a study has claimed they’re ineffective.
Now, the Florida House of Representatives is considering a repeal of the law that makes their use legal in the state. It’s not the first time a repeal has been considered either. The Florida Senate made an attempt in 2011.
This new bill just made it through a House panel and now has to go before the appropriations committee before the full House can take it up. It would also require a nod from the Senate.
While the current House bill has a long way to go before gaining full approval, we’d like to get your take on the issue, Tampa Bay.
What do you think about red light cameras? Should they stay or should they go? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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
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
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
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
Do come to a complete stop at right-on-red intersections. Don’t tailgate (it is the following car’s responsibility to maintain proper separation based on speed to allow time to stop- even if the person in front slams on the brakes) Do make a universal yellow-red transition time based on approach speed. If we can do those four, all the other problems are solved. Except of course the big-brother/cameras watching me paranoia.
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
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association