Drivers Claim School Zone Cameras Are Issuing Fines Even When Lights Are Not Flashing | Carscoops

      Florida legislation permits the issuance of school zone camera tickets even when the flashing beacons are not activated, leading to public outcry as no appeals have been successful in Hillsborough County this year.

      Drivers in Hillsborough County have contested 46 tickets, all of which were upheld.

      RedSpeed cameras throughout the state have accumulated nearly $32 million in less than a year.

      Speeding in school zones, especially when children are present, is undeniably hazardous. The speed limits around schools are designed to protect kids, yet some residents in Florida believe these zones are becoming revenue-generating schemes. Their frustrations appear to have some merit.

      The issue arises with signs that state “20 mph when flashing.” Drivers are receiving tickets from speed cameras even when the sign is not illuminated. For instance, Joe Weaver reported getting a ticket for driving 38 mph in an area he thought was a 40 mph zone due to the sign not flashing. However, the problem is that the sign in question cannot flash at all because it lacks lighting.

      Most would assume Weaver's case is straightforward and that his ticket should be dismissed. Unfortunately, Florida law governing speed cameras in school zones does not mandate the signs to actually flash for the reduced speed limit to apply and be enforced. In other words, the sign can suggest one speed while a car gets ticketed for a different one. "I got a raw deal," Weaver expressed to WPTV.

      Hillsborough County Magistrate Dr. Tom Santarlas, who oversees appeals related to speed zone cameras, stated, “I don’t like this law.” Despite his opinions, he feels constrained: “Sometimes the legislature doesn’t achieve its objectives when passing laws; this is one such example."

      Here's the kicker: contesting the ticket, as many have done in similar situations to Weaver’s, incurs additional costs. One individual, Karen Bowman, had to pay an extra $75 merely to present her case.

      She received a ticket for driving 33 mph in a school zone while the sign was not flashing. Her appeal was unsuccessful because the law is structured in a way that renders the flashing feature irrelevant, despite the sign's wording.

      Not surprisingly, David De La Espriella, a client relations director for the speed camera vendor, views the situation positively. “I think it’s an excellent law,” he remarked. His company, RedSpeed, operates cameras in 35 areas across Florida and has issued nearly 500,000 tickets, resulting in approximately $32 million in under a year. Less than 300 of those tickets have been dismissed.