Clermont red-light runners could be caught on camera

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Drivers who run a red light in Clermont could soon be caught on camera at one of the busiest intersections in town.

Tuesday night, the City Council approved a contract with American Traffic Solutions to bring cameras to town at the intersection of State Road 50 and Hancock Road.

Sara Dudley, a driver who passes through the intersection, said the measure could stop red-light runners.

"Nobody wants a ticket, so they're not going to run a red light," Dudley said.

WFTV learned the intersection could be the first to see red-light cameras installed.

ATS charges $4,750 per camera per month, and intersections like the one at S.R. 50 and Hancock Road would require four cameras each, at a total cost of $228,000 per year for just one four-way stop.

Driver Walter Martin said it doesn't sound fair.

"I don't think we need it that much. There are a few traffic intersections that would probably perhaps help with safety, but I think it could be done without the red-light cameras," Martin said.

Some argue the contract won't cost taxpayers a dime because of a clause that states if Clermont doesn't make enough money on tickets to pay the fee, the vendor eats the loss.

That worries some drivers, who think the city might enforce more violations to make a profit.

"I think they'll drive the same way with them or without them. And it's just going to cause people getting extra tickets; that's what they're trying to generate, money," Lee said.

Specific intersections will be chosen during the next two months. City leaders said they haven't decided how many intersections will have the cameras.

WFTV