Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
OurSouth Florida car accident lawyers are monitoring a debate waging in Royal Palm Beach, West Boca and Boca Raton over the use of red-light cameras. Supporters say the red-light cameras act as a deterrent by decreasing the number of drivers running red lights – and the number of car accidents – while making the community a little money. Opponents complain the cameras amount to little more than an invasion of privacy, open municipalities up to lawsuits, and put moneymaking ahead of improving public safety.
In Royal Palm Beach, the tide is against keeping the cameras, the Palm Beach Post reports. City council members and even the mayor say that dealing with the flack from villagers – and the possibility of fending off lawsuits filed after issuing camera-based citations – essentially isn’t worth the hassle of keeping cameras in place at intersections where Okeechobee and Crestwood cross Royal Palm Boulevard. They are even questioning whether cameras improve safety and will vote this week whether to keep them in place or take them down.
Meanwhile, in other parts of Palm Beach County – namely West Boca, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Palm Springs – moves are being made to install red-light cameras or to transition from issuing warnings to issuing citations in locations where cameras exist. Some areas in Palm Beach County have already moved to issuing citations to violators captured by cameras.
According to the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running, red-light cameras are installed in more than 400 communities in 25 states. Cities from New Orleans to Washington D.C. to Orange County, Calif. have all reported significant drops in both red-light running incidences and car accidents caused by a driver running a red light. In New Orleans, installing red-light cameras led to an 85 percent drop in drivers running lights and in Council Bluffs, there has been a 90 percent drop in car accidents caused by drivers running the light.
The South Florida car accident attorneys at Freeman & Mallard have been successfully and aggressively representing car accident victims and their families in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Ft. Pierce /Port St. Lucie for years. Call us today to schedule a no-obligation appointment to discuss your case at 1-800-529-2368.