by School Cameras in Florida: Drivers Receive Fines Even Without Signals
Speed cameras in Florida’s school zones continue to cause outrage among drivers. Even if the speed limit signs are not flashing, the cameras still record violations and issue fines. According to data, 46 drivers in Hillsborough County challenged such fines, but none of them were canceled.
One driver, Joe Weaver, received a fine for a speed of 38 mph in a zone where, in his opinion, a 40 mph limit was in effect because the sign was not flashing. It turned out that the sign does not have a light indicator at all. However, according to Florida law, the flashing of the sign is not a mandatory condition for the speed limit to be in effect.
“I received an unfair fine,” Weaver said.
Judges and Drivers Are Disappointed
Hillsborough County Magistrate, Dr. Tom Santarlas, expressed his dissatisfaction with the law: “There are times when legislators do not achieve their goal — this is one of them.” However, his powers are limited, and he cannot cancel fines if they comply with the letter of the law.
Another driver, Karen Bowman, tried to appeal the fine but had to pay an additional $75 for the case to be heard. She lost because the law does not require the signs to flash for the limit to be in effect.
“I think this is a great law,” stated David De La Espriella, a representative of RedSpeed, the company that installs the cameras.
Over the past year, RedSpeed cameras in 35 Florida counties issued nearly 500,000 fines totaling about $32 million. Fewer than 300 of them were canceled.
The situation raises questions about the transparency and fairness of such systems. Drivers believe that the signs should clearly indicate when the limit is in effect, not leave room for interpretation. The companies that profit from these fines, on the contrary, defend the law, arguing it’s for children’s safety. However, if the fining system causes so much controversy, perhaps its mechanisms should be reviewed.
