Safer Roads Report 2012: Trends in Red-Light Running
Florida Red-Light Running Fact Sheet
1. Red-Light Running in Florida
Red-light runners caused 51 fatalities in Florida in 2012, costing communities more than $326 million.
Sources: Traffic Crash Facts Annual Report 2012. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.Page
33.https://firesportal.com/Pages/Public/DHSMVPublishedDocuments/Current_Year/Crash_Facts_2012_as_of_10-7-2013.pdf
AAA. Amount is based on 11 cost components selected by Federal Highway Administration including workplace, medical costs, property damage and
emergency services. One fatality costs $6.4 million in 2012. http://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2011_AAA_CrashvCongUpd.pdf
Figure is AAA 2009 cost of $6 million adjusted for inflation using http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
Red-light runners caused 4,803 traffic injuries in Florida in 2012, costing communities more than $646 million.
Sources: Traffic Crash Facts Annual Report 2012. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.Page
33.https://firesportal.com/Pages/Public/DHSMVPublishedDocuments/Current_Year/Crash_Facts_2012_as_of_10-7-2013.pdf
AAA. Amount is based on 11 cost components selected by Federal Highway Administration including workplace, medical costs, property damage and
emergency services. One injury costs $134,555 in 2012. http://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2011_AAA_CrashvCongUpd.pdf
Figure is AAA 2009 cost of $126,000 adjusted for inflation using http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
In the three years since the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act took effect, the average number of citations issued
per camera has decreased 56%, even though the number of red-light safety cameras increased more than
350% and the number of ATS clients rose 110%.
Source: ATS reports.
Of all red-light running citations issued in Florida in the three years since July 1, 2010, when the Wandall Act
took effect, in 2011, 90% of the vehicle owners who received one red-light running ticket did not receive a
second, 8% received two tickets and 2% received three or more. These small percentages of repeat offenders
indicates a change in driver behavior.
Source: ATS reports.
A statewide survey identified a decrease in total crashes to be the most common outcome among 73 police
agencies using red-light safety cameras.
Source: Florida Highway Patrol. Red Light Camera Program Analysis.Page 2. Dec. 28, 2012.
http://www.atsol.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Red-Light-Camera-Survey-Analysis-2012.pdf
The greatest number of 73 Florida communities with red-light safety cameras found traffic crashes decreased
in three categories over a year’s time from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012:
41 communities (56.2%) reported fewer total crashes, 11 witnessed increases, 7 reported no change
and the remainder lacked data.
32 communities (43.8%) reported fewer right-angle crashes, 8 reported an increase, 11 remained the
same and the others lacked data.
30 communities (41%) reported a decrease in rear-end crashes, 16 reported an increase, 5 remained
the same and the remainder lacked data.
Source: Florida Highway Patrol. Red Light Camera Program Analysis. Pages 2,3. Dec. 28, 2012.
http://www.atsol.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Red-Light-Camera-Survey-Analysis-2012.pdf
Red-light running injury crashes decreased 86% at 22 intersection approaches with red-light safety cameras in
St. Petersburg in the first full year of camera use compared with the previous three years without cameras.
Source: Kimley-Horn and Associates. Stop on Red Intersection Public Safety Program, City of St. Petersburg, Annual Performance Evaluation for
2012.Page 14.http://www.stpete.org/LegisStream_CMx/3228966/3228967/3228978/3230020/3230124/Council%20Brief%20-%20Backup3230124.pdf
Red-light running related rear-end crashes decreased 30% in the first full year of photo enforcement in St.
Petersburg at the 22 intersection approaches with red-light safety cameras.
Source: Kimley-Horn and Associates. Stop on Red Intersection Public Safety Program, City of St. Petersburg, Annual Performance Evaluation for
2012.Page 18.http://www.stpete.org/LegisStream_CMx/3228966/3228967/3228978/3230020/3230124/Council%20Brief%20-%20Backup3230124.pdf
In November 2011, the first month the city of Tampa started levying fines, police issued 8,174 violations to
drivers photographed running red lights. A year later, in November 2012, that number decreased 57% 4,729.
Source: Tampa Bay Times, Jan. 5, 2013.http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/crashes-drop-31-percent-at-tampas-red-light-cameraintersections/1268963
The Boynton Beach Police Department reports zero fatalites and a 20% to 30% decrease in traffic crashes at
intersections where the city placed red-light safety cameras in 2011.
Source: WPBF-TV ABC 25, Sept. 5, 2013.http://www.wpbf.com/news/south-florida/palm-beach-county-news/boynton-beach-police-say-redlightcameras-have-reduced-traffic-crashes/-/8815578/21795400/-/kr3158z/-/index.html?absolute=true
2. Orange County has red-light cameras in 10 locations and has seen an 11% decrease in crashes since 2011 at
eight of those intersections.
Source: WFTV-TV Channel 9, Sept. 11, 2013. http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/orange-county-plans-add-80-red-light-cameras/nZs5m/
Since red-light safety cameras were installed in Florida in 2007, the number of traffic crash injuries attributed to
drivers disregarding the traffic signal (including running red lights) has fallen from 5,879 in 2007 to 5,190 in
2009 and to 4,991 in 2010, for an overall 15% decrease from 2007 to 2010.
Source: Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department annual reports.
http://www.flhsmv.gov/html/safety.html
The city of Apopka installed the first red-light safety cameras in Florida in 2007. Since then, red-light running
fatalities decreased from 93 to 81, a 12.9% decrease from 2007 to 2011.
Sources: 2007-2011 report generated by National Center for Statistics and Analysis, an office of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Pursuant to the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act, authorities in Florida using red-light safety cameras are to
issue $158 fines for running a red light. Each fine is distributed this way: $100 goes to the state’s general
revenue fund; $45 goes to the local government; $10 goes to local trauma centers and $3 is allocated for
spinal and brain injury research through The Miami Project.
Source: Florida House of Representatives
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h0325er.docx&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=0325&Session=2010
Red-light running fines have contributed more than $4.8 million to The Miami Project through June 2013.
Source: Florida Department of Revenue. http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/distributions.html