FL quietly shortened yellow light standards & lengths, resulting in more red light camera tickets

[The Straight Story]

TAMPA BAY, Florida -- A subtle, but significant tweak to Florida's rules regarding traffic signals has allowed local cities and counties to shorten yellow light intervals, resulting in millions of dollars in additional red light camera fines.

The 10 News Investigators discovered the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) quietly changed the state's policy on yellow intervals in 2011, reducing the minimum below federal recommendations. The rule change was followed by engineers, both from FDOT and local municipalities, collaborating to shorten the length of yellow lights at key intersections, specifically those with red light cameras (RLCs).

While yellow light times were reduced by mere fractions of a second, research indicates a half-second reduction in the interval can double the number of RLC citations -- and the revenue they create. The 10 News investigation stemmed from a December discovery of a dangerously short yellow light in Hernando County. After the story aired, the county promised to re-time all of its intersections, and the 10 News Investigators promised to dig into yellow light timing all across Tampa Bay.

Red light cameras generated more than $100 million in revenue last year in approximately 70 Florida communities, with 52.5 percent of the revenue going to the state. The rest is divided by cities, counties, and the camera companies. In 2013, the cameras are on pace to generate $120 million.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=316418

[leftyohiolib]

1. keep votin republican florida

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. I would love to know how much the camera companies are making.

And would love it if ALL drivers were aware that red light cameras in major cities are a FOR Profit business.

[Egalitarian Thug]

3. Typically, half of the proceeds. IIRC California pays them a smaller percentage because the

gross numbers are so high. My friend, Ken got one of the very first camera tickets in Cali, a stale yellow cost him $481.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. I am in a tizzy because my lil town is talking about putting up its 4th light

but since everyone obeys the lights, we don't have cameras.

We DO have sneaky speed traps, tho.

[Addison]

4. I love red light cameras

Really. Because I've seen the damage a red light runner can do.

I wish they were at every busy intersection.

[X_Digger]

6. Really? Red light cameras *cause* more collisions than they prevent.

http://www.motorists.org/red-light-cameras/increase-accidents

Los Angeles | KCAL TV
A local TV station fact-checked the city's claims that their ticket cameras reduced accidents and found that the opposite was true. At 20 of the 32 intersections studied, accidents increased and several intersections tripled their accident rate.

Washington, D.C. | Washington Post
This report showed an overall increase in accidents at red-light camera intersections of 107 percent.

Portland, Oregon | KATU News
KATU News reviewed city statistics and found a 140 percent increase in rear-end crashes at the intersections where red light cameras were installed.

Fort Collins, Colorado | The Coloradoan
Ft. Collins, Colorado has experienced an 83 percent increase in the number of accidents since red light cameras were installed.

[mythology]

8. I'm not sure that I buy that site as unbiased

For example, here's a study from the U.S. Department of Transportation that found there was a decrease in accidents due to red light cameras:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/05049/

Likewise the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that red light cameras reduced accidents:

http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/rlr.aspx

[X_Digger]

10. Click on each link for the different investigations (it's not all one study.)

There are different looks, by different groups, all over..

Virginia Transportation Research Council
AAA
Florida Public Health Review
Monash University
North Carolina A&T State University
Transportation Research Board
Ontario, Canada's Ministry of Transportation
Virginia Department of Transportation
University of South Florida

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/25/2593.asp

Scholars Uncover Flaws in Red Light Camera Research
American Journal of Public Health confirms errors in the first study used to sell red light cameras in the US.

University of South Florida researchers have uncovered fundamental flaws in the first US study to claim red light cameras decrease accidents. Since 2001, the insurance industry's report on the benefits of red light camera use in Oxnard, California has been cited by hundreds of cities as the basis for the adoption of photo enforcement (view study in PDF). Researchers Barbara Orban, Etienne Pracht and John T. Large attempted to replicate these findings and discovered that the Oxnard numbers, intended to serve as the model of peer-reviewed scholarship, simply did not add up.

[amerciti001]

7. So what else is new...

When you get some company to privatize something that the local, state or federal government something that should be completely accountable to the Public, this is the result of this Privatization = Profits.

Even if it means ripping off the Public by reducing the time on the yellow caution traffic light to bag more red light runners. Way to go, In 2013, the cameras are on pace to generate $120 million. All by reducing the timing of one light that changes from one color to another just as you are half way through the intersection, resulting in you being mail a ticket for running the (red) light, Way to go!!

[zappaman]

9. The very definition of "dirty trick"

Richard Milhous would be proud!