House votes again to eliminate red-light cameras

With little comment, the House voted Friday to eliminate the red-light camera statute that lawmakers have targeted since the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act of 2010 was created. The proposal (HB 6001) now awaits action from the Senate, which in the past hasn’t been as supportive of overturning the law allowing the use of red-light cameras in traffic enforcement.

An identical measure in the Senate (SB 548) has yet to appear before any of four scheduled committee stops. Shortly after Friday’s 83-10 vote, House Speaker Richard Corcoran said the use of red-light cameras needs to come to a halt due to “the failure and corruption” of the law.

“Having reviewed years of data… it is clear that red light cameras are more about revenue than public safety,” Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, said in a press release. On Thursday, Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, one of the bill’s sponsors, said nearly half the money collected from red-light violations goes to vendors that provide the cameras.

The Spring Hill Republican also said the cameras haven’t been proven to change driving behavior. Under the proposal, the repeal would prevent the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and local governments from using the cameras for traffic enforcement, starting in 2021. The House estimates that lifting the law would save drivers $159 million a year.