Today Tallahassee will expand its red light camera safety program.
A new set of cameras will monitor the intersection of Capital Circle NE and Mahan Drive.
The intersection is ranked in the top five in the city for accidents with the Tallahassee Police Department reporting more than 100 crashes during 2010 and 2011.Tallahassee Traffic Mobility Manager Allen Secreast said the city hopes to “reduce traffic accidents” through monitoring intersections.
Since 2010, the Red Light Camera Safety Program has installed cameras to monitor intersections and has noted a significant decrease in red light violations. A number of intersections report as much as a 96 percent reduction.
“According to our crash analysis, major intersections within the city tend to have a high percentage of red light runners,” said Secreast. “Red light cameras will not only reduce red light running but will also a decrease the number of accidents at each major intersection.”
While the cameras have a lot of support from courts and local leaders, citizens of Tallahassee continue to battle with the idea of cameras watching their every move.
“I’m not against the cameras,” said 22-year-old Keldrin Kwame, a business student from Tallahassee. “However, I believe the cameras should be used in case of an accident.”
Bianca Jones, 24, a psychology, graduate student from Ft. Lauderdale, agrees with the initiative.
“I feel like if you break a driving violation, like running a red light, yes, you should receive a ticket for violation,” said Jones. “Some people feel like if there isn’t a cop in sight it’s a sign of getting away with breaking the law.”
With the addition of these two cameras, the program will include 19 cameras monitoring seven intersections throughout the city. Running a red light at a monitored intersection could result in a $158 fine and a notice to appear, which is then mailed to the registered vehicle owner.