Thursday, the Florida House voted to bar the use of cameras in red lights in order to enforce traffic laws. This came after supporters made an argument that the cameras don’t actually save lives, but are rather used for making money for vendors.
The vote on final passage went 91-22.
“It has become less about public safety and more about revenue,” said Bryan Avila, the Hialeah Republican who presented the bill.
The state is sending $35 million to out-of-state vendors, he said. Yet the cameras are not stopping repeat traffic offenders — there were more than 150,000 of those recorded in the state, he said.
HB 6007 repeals state authorization for red light cameras and bans their use by local governments. Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.
Infractions linked to the cameras have generated about $18.8 million for the state thus far this budget year, according to a legislative analysis.
What do…
