Should Red Light Cameras Be Installed In Upstate New York Cities?
Hands up. Who reading this has ever run a red light? Yea, I thought so. I have my hand up as well. To be honest, in New York State, it may have happened only a couple of times, and was during late night hours when no one was around.
Oh, and there was this one time when I was in Florida. Actually it was March 1st of this year (2023) around 5 am when I was rushing to return a rental car to the lot and get to the airport on time so as to not miss my flight.
The light was red. There was no other vehicle around. I slowed down, but continued through the intersection. Just as I did, there was a flash of light. My brother, who accompanied me on this trip to Florida informed me that our picture was just taken.
I had no idea the State of Florida uses red light cameras. A month later, I ended up paying just under 200 dollars for the violation plus rental car administration fees, which I say is just a way for the car rental company to suck more money out of me.
Can this happen in New York State? Well, yes & no. If you are in New York City, then yes. But according to the Scott Russell Law website:
In Oklahoma, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Vermont, and other states there are no laws on the use of speed or red light cameras. In contrast, other states have made any type of speed or red light camera illegal. The use of traffic cameras is prohibited in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Mississippi, and Maine. - Scott Russell Law
So, the short answer for the rest of New York State currently is no. Scott Russell Law notes that the reason is because the use of red light cameras is only permitted by local ordinance in Empire State cities that have over one million people, but traffic cameras that clock speeding is permitted in school zones
Still, this is not a reason to run a red light...or speed. I learned my lesson. The video below is an interesting idea that the City of Lakeland Florida put in place a few years ago to help prevent accidents from those who run red lights.