Red-light cameras, which generate millions in ticket revenue for Florida cities, have caught more than 45,000 drivers at intersections in the Orlando Area since July 1. Most drivers caught by red-light cameras are not dangerous but were cited tickets because they were a second too late going through the light or because they turned right on red without coming to a full and complete stop. The fine for committing such a crime is $158.
Fewer than 150 people have contested their tickets due to high appeal rates. While Orlando adds $50 for a red-light appeal, other cities charge more. Apopka and Maitland, for example, charge $250, which is the most allowed by law. Winners, of course, pay nothing.
Another reason many do not dispute the fine of $158 is because these violations are caught on camera. There have only been 5 cases where the judge has ruled in the driver’s favor. In one case, a man was following an ambulance carrying his wife. In another, a woman insisted she was not driving the car caught on camera. The judge ruled in her favor because the camera view could not disprove she was not in fact driving the vehicle.
Numerous groups are developing in protest of the new law they call “unconstitutional.” Many say the red-light law requires a person, in essence, to prove their innocence.