Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) surreptitiously changed the state’s policy on traffic signals, allowing local cities and counties to shorten yellow light intervals, a 10 News Investigation has revealed. The rule change has resulted in million of dollars in additional red light camera fines for motorists.
According to research, if even yellow light times are reduced by mere fractions of seconds, this can double the number of red light camera citations and the associated revenue generated.
“Red light cameras are a for-profit business between cities and camera companies and the state,” said James Walker, executive director of the nonprofit National Motorists Association, 10 News Investigation reported. “The (FDOT rule-change) was done, I believe, deliberately in order that more tickets would be given with yellows set deliberately too short.”
In 2012, red light cameras generated over $100 million in revenue, with about 52.5 percent going to the state. The remainder is divided up between cities, counties and red-light camera companies.
Read more here on lawmakers’ red light camera scam of motorists.
