ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.,None — Orange County's 10 red light cameras are officially up and running and it's no longer a free pass for running a red light. Starting Monday, anyone who runs a red light at 10 different intersections across the county will receive a $158 ticket.
READ LIST: Intersections With Red Light Cameras
During the two-week grace period, more than 3,000 drivers were caught on camera breaking the law.
On Monday, many drivers ran the red light.
"Seen a lot of flashing lights. Looks like they're getting a lot of people running the light there," said driver Shawn Wilkins.
Officials said University Boulevard and Dean Road is a problem and is one of the worst for red light runners. During the two-week test period cameras were capturing 50 drivers per day running red lights at that intersection.
"It's always surprising to me how many people run red lights," said project manager Krista Barber.
The way it works is the ticket is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. If someone else was driving, it's up to the owner to identify that person for the court.
Another one of the worst intersections for red light running is Alafaya Trail and Lake Underhill. The intersection averaged 56 tickets per day, officials said.
However, since it was only a test period, the tickets were only considered warnings. Officials said that according to the test period, the citations could bring in a half-million dollars.
Critics said the red light cameras are all about making money.
"It's bull. Nah, I don't like having that," said driver Chad Owen.
However, the county said it's not about the money. The county said red light accidents are some of the most dangerous, but also some of the most preventable. That's why it installed the red light cameras to discourage people from taking chances.
"When I see a yellow light, I'm already breaking before it gets to the red zone," said driver Shawn Wilkins.
The tickets will not count as points against drivers' licenses, but not paying the fines could be bad news. If you don't pay within 30 days, the fine increases to $262.
The county pays about $50,000 per month to the vendor for the 10 red light cameras. But for each violation, the county gets to keep $75. The state gets most of the rest.
Previous Stories: February 25, 2011: Orange Co. Red Light Cameras Document 3,000 Violations In 2 Weeks February 19, 2011: Red Light Cameras Reduce Crashes In Orlando February 8, 2011: App Helps Drivers Avoid Red Light Cameras February 3, 2011: Red Light Camera Ticketed Wrong Driver February 1, 2011: Study: Red Light Cameras Lower Traffic Deaths January 24, 2011: Mayor Makes Announcement On Red Light Cams January 20, 2011: Red-Light Cameras Installed, Tickets To Be Issued Soon
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