Red-light Conversation
Driving to a better solution
There are over 15.7 million licensed drivers in Florida. Growing traffic has produced declining driving habits.
Distracted drivers and aggressive driving behaviors along with limitations in traffic enforcement, all contribute to potentially hazardous driving conditions. According to Google Search there were 401,533 accidents in Florida in 2021 an average of 1,100 per day.
In the larger metropolitan areas of Florida cities and counties have supplemented on scene officer intervention with red light camera photo enforcement. This technology places camera devices at the busiest urban intersections. Law enforcement reviews each photo and creates citations.
This is not a new solution. In 2010, Florida passed the “Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act”. The law authorizes the use of Traffic Infraction Detectors also known as red-light cameras. Proponents of red-light cameras point out that in 2020, an estimated 116,000 people were injured in red light running crashes and 928 were killed.
Manatee County recently voted to end the use of red-light cameras. In an article published by the Bradenton Herald on December 16th, Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge commented that, “If we’re collecting $400,000 a month on seven intersections, we’re not changing behavior,”. “What we’ve done is create a fundraiser for government.”
The debate continues and so does red-light camera citations. In fiscal year 20/ 21 the Florida Department of Highway, Safety, and Motor Vehicles reported that there were 212,229 citations filed in Florida. This count is 37% below filings recorded in 2019. However, 15 counties and 47 jurisdictions appeared on the Department of Revenue report having submitted red-light camera violations.
The largest share of citations were filed in 4 counties (Miami-Dade, Orange, Hillsborough, and Osceola) with 149,924 red light camera citations which accounted for 70% of all red-light citations filed in Florida. These red-light citations become a Clerk challenge once the camera snaps the picture, which is then reviewed by law enforcement, and filed with the Clerk. Of all tickets filed in the 4 largest counties, 23% of all tickets have dispositions pending in 2021.
For Clerks, the law requires collection of citation fines including red-light camera violations. Compliance service is hindered by delays as the ticket moves from the photo creation to the Clerk’s office. Additional challenges occur in validating citation addresses for notifications.
Red Light Opportunity
Red-light cameras remain citation filings in Florida. Time to focus on what can be done more efficiently.
Clerks should open dialogue with law enforcement to understand volume and process improvement options. This is the first step in employing better processes that may include technology to streamline, deliver, and improve notifications to citation violators. Beyond the debate on the merits of Red-light citations, these tickets are a part of civil traffic filing volumes that do impact time and collections. It’s important to focus on what can be done to make the situation better.
Don Murphy is the Principal and Senior Consultant for Compliance Improvement Services (CIS) which provides consulting and training for courts and local government. He is a Fellow with the National Center for State Courts and has over 25 years of court administration experience with Clerks in Florida.