State Senator Seeks Repeal Of Red Light Camera Bill
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - Red light cameras have become cash cows for cities with revenue problems. But one state senator wants to remove all red light cameras from state roads by July under a new bill, according to the News Service of Florida.
State Senator Rene Garcia said a bill that allows the red light cameras is an "unwarranted, big-brother initiative." His bill would repeal the red light bill passed last year.
Garcia said that the red light cameras have simply become a way for local governments to use "these cameras to tax their citizens under the disguise of safety."
According to the News Service of Florida, the state's Revenue Estimating Conference projected the red light cameras would bring in roughly $100 million into the state and $75 million into local governments over two years.
Drivers typically pay more than $150 per violation if they are caught on camera running a red light.
Garcia's bill goes head to head with insurance industry, which research it says showed that the cameras saved roughly 159 lives over four years in a study of 14 major cities.
The News Service of Florida reported that 3 percent of all fatal accidents in 2008 resulted from someone running a red light.
