In Lakeland, FL, there have been many opinions against the City of Lakeland's recent implementation of camera use to ticket vehicles that run red lights.
One author of the Lakeland Ledger wrote that this system could use improvement in several areas. His opinion on this issue was very strong, and is noted throughout the article.
The author believes that the biggest concern with the cameras is the violator's ability to contest the citation before a tribunal. Currently, drivers who are issued a citation by the City of Lakeland, FL, must appear before a hearing officer, rather than a judge.
According to this author, hearing officers, at the very least, should have judicial or mediation experience. Furthermore, city employees should not be permitted to serve as hearing officers.
He also believes that it takes far too long for driver to receive the notice of violation. Currently, it takes between 10 days and more than two weeks for a notice to arrive. The article mentions two Lakeland, FL, drivers who owe $1,250 each for repeatedly turning right on a red light before stopping entirely at the light.
The Florida Driver's Handbook states clearly that a red light requires a driver to "come to a complete stop at the marked stop line, or before moving into the crosswalk or intersection." The section adds, "At most intersections, after stopping, you may turn right on red if the way is clear."
The author believes if the drivers would have been educated of this rule (by being immediately notified of the offense) perhaps the subsequent offenses could have been prevented. Instead, the same offense continued to occur and the cameras continued to catch them on tape.
He also believes that these groups of multiple violations without notice to the violator, should be treated as one violation, rather than multiple tickets in the mail weeks later. The author thinks individual notations should only be delivered after the violator is aware of the first violation(s).
Furthermore, the author seems to be a bit skeptical of the entire process. He notes that of the 4,447 violations issued thus far, not one was issued to a city owned vehicle or truck. He finds this strange considering there are 1,116 vehicles owned by the City of Lakeland.
The use of red light cameras in Lakeland, FL is new to the City. As such, the process is expected to have its share of problems. However, it is through open dialogue with the public that these issues can be heard and addressed to ensure a fair process for all.
