ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — 9 Investigates uncovered new red-light cameras contributed to a major increase in the number of violations issued in Orange County.
Dozens of additional cameras went online in the past two years.
Records show the number of violations issued in the last fiscal year was more than 55,000, nearly triple the 20,000 issued the year before.
“Now that I'm older, I drive a lot more careful than I used to,” said driver Jim Rhoads.
Rhoads lives near two intersections with cameras. He's not a fan of the program.
“It's not stopping anybody, because they don't even know the cameras are there. So they're going to run them anyway,” he said.
County leaders said the surge in violations is mostly connected to the 40 new cameras that went online since 2013.
The traffic manager told Channel 9’s Michael Lopardi over the phone that the program is about safety, not revenue.
Officials said crashes have decreased at half of the intersections, and the county moved cameras from three of them where violations dropped significantly.
The county said the placement of the equipment and the direction of the lens can have a big impact on how many violators are caught on camera.
“A notice of violation generally starts at $158. Once it turns into a traffic citation, you're looking at $262,” said attorney Brian Sandor.
The numbers show less than 2 percent of people contested violations and had it dismissed last year. Many drivers paid the fine.
“A lot of them don't think it's worth it for their time and their effort to actually come to court and stand up for themselves,” said Sandor.
The county is now waiting on a court case and the upcoming legislative session before deciding whether to install another 40 cameras that were already approved.
The county said the cameras have generated about $9 million since 2011.
WFTV
