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Statewide sync-up of yellow traffic lights moves in House
Gray Rohrer, 10/19/2011 - 07:38 PM
 

Photo Credit: wfyurasko
 

A bill to create uniform yellow traffic light durations throughout the state breezed through its first committee stop Wednesday, over the objections of  local government officials who favor the current standards, which allow a range of "caution light" durations depending on local conditions.
 

HB 33 is aimed at increasing intersection safety, but some members of the House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee expressed concern that municipalities with red light cameras could be shortening the duration of yellow lights in an effort to garner more revenue from tickets.
 

Yellow light durations would be based on the posted speed limit plus 10 percent under the bill, with a minimum duration of three seconds for intersections in 25 mph zones to a maximum of six seconds. If a city or county fails to abide by the standard, any ticket issued for running a red light at an intersection not in compliance would be thrown out by the courts.
 

“This bill actually addresses the safety concerns of the traffic intersections as opposed to the red light cameras,” said bill sponsor Rep. Larry Ahern, R-St. Petersburg.
 

But local government officials in cities with red light camera programs said they are working just fine under the current standards for durations and are increasing driver safety.
 

“These [existing] standards have had significant research. We feel like that could actually increase injuries,” said Kathy Russell, director of intergovernmental affairs for the city of Orlando, which has been running several red light cameras for the past three years.
The bill only received one negative vote, from Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee. He didn’t want to tie the hands of local governments throughout the state, making them adhere to a statewide standard.
 

“My concern with this bill is that trying to standardize every traffic signal in the state of Florida is difficult,” Williams said. “Obviously what we have in place right now is working. The traffic light isn’t the thing that’s causing the accident, it’s user error.”
 

Williams’ fellow lawmakers, however, have cited several run-ins of their own regarding the six red-light cameras in Tallahassee and others elsewhere in the state. Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, intends to fight  a red-light ticket he recently received in the mail for a vehicle he owns but was not driving at the time. A supporter of the red-light camera repeal bill that narrowly passed the House last year but was not taken up in the Senate, Plakon said this week he will fight even harder this year for repeal.

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