State Senator Daphne Campbell files legislation to ban red-light cameras in the state of Florida

State Senator Daphne Campbell (D-Miami) announced today that she has filed legislation, SB 630, to finally end the installation and use of red light cameras in Florida.
“In too many communities, including my own, local governments have deployed back-door tax policies such as red-light cameras as money-making ventures,” said Sen. Campbell. “This isn’t about safety, this is about improving the bottom line, and I intend to continue the fight to stop the profiteering at the expense of my constituents.”
Implemented in 2010, red-light cameras were intended to bring more safety to the roads of Florida. However, throughout the five years of their operation, the data shows that this is not the case. According to a survey from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, red light cameras have resulted in a 15 percent increase in total crashes, 29 percent increase in incapacitating injuries, 17 percent increase in crashes involving non-motorists and a 10 percent increase in rear-end crashes. Arkansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin are thirteen states that have already banned red light cameras.
SB 630 would abolish red light cameras commencing July 1, 2020, as well as the need for specialized traffic enforcement officers. It would also eliminate the hefty fines previously levied on unsuspecting motorists.
“Florida should join the list of states that bans these cameras,” said Senator Campbell. “We should pass good policy in Tallahassee that helps the residents and the tourists who visit us, not policy that does more harm than good.”