In order to cut down on traffic crashes, in 2010 the Florida State Legislature allowed cameras to be mounted at intersections to take pictures of motorists who continue moving through a red-light. Now a Cocoa Beach resident has filed a lawsuit that challenges the cameras at intersections. The woman from Cocoa Beach received a $158 citation for allegedly running a red-light in September 2010. Her attorney hopes this will turn into a class action to stop what he believes is an unconstitutional state law.
Expect to see the red-light cameras debated at the next legislative session.
Supporters say the red-light cameras save lives, but detractors say you cannot have a machine give a ticket because you can’t fight a machine in court like you could a police officer who was an actual human witness to the red-light running. There is also some evidence that motorists tend to speed up when they believe an intersection has a camera so they are not caught running a red-light. This, of course, makes the situation even more dangerous as they pass through the intersection. Intersections are a very common place for T-bone accidents, which can be some of the most dangerous crashes that lead to serious injuries.
Motorists who may join in the action will ask to have fines reimbursed that they received from red-light cameras.
Farah & Farah’s auto accident attorneys in Florida recommend you slightly slow down going through an intersection and have your foot poised over the brake in case you have to stop suddenly.
Source: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/red-light-cameras-in-cocoa-beach-spark-challenge-1937617.html
