Once again, a bill to shut off the state's red light cameras has arrived in the Florida House.
On Wednesday, the House's Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee voted 12-1 to support House Bill 6003 that would repeal the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program legislation that paved the way for the devices in Florida. The 2010 law is named after a man killed by a driver who ran a red light.
Republican Florida Sen. Jeff Brandes, of St. Petersburg, filed a similar version in the Senate.
A previous effort to get rid of red light cameras passed the House in an 83-10 vote last year, but it didn't reach go anywhere in the Senate.
Florida’s 2018 red light camera report indicated crashes at red light camera intersections that local municipalities have been able to track have increased by about 15 percent since the technology was installed, mirroring the same 15 percent increase in miles driven by vehicles on Florida roads.
The report suggests the number of minor crashes at camera intersections is likely to rise after the technology’s installation, while serious injuries might decline.
However, it’s not clear if the decline in crashes is related to the cameras; following 10Investigates’ 2013 series on red light camera abuses, the state mandated a two-second “all-red” interval at all state intersections to add an additional layer of safety in case drivers misjudge a yellow light interval.
Recent work by 10Investigates' Noah Pransky was used in this report.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
