Highway Safety is an under-served priority for our politicians? WHY?
Negligent and with arrogance, on Thursday the Commissioners from the City of Miami unanimously voted to discontinue the use of the Red Light Safety Cameras throughout the City starting in two weeks!
WHY would you take a tool away from law enforcement when they are clearly working?
From the beginning Red Light safety cameras in Miami were designed to change bad driving behavior and help reduce the collisions, injures and fatalities caused by people who negligently run red lights! Guess what? They work! 80% of the violators who get and pay a ticket never do it again! Video from the cameras has helped the Miami Police Department solve dozens of crimes including robberies, hit and runs and even murder. And you know what is most important? MORE than 7 out of 10 of the violations are issued to vehicles registered OUTSIDE the city of Miami? These City Council members were elected to protect and serve the citizens of the city of Miami. In all due respect they have grossly failed their constituents.
A very important mention; According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ (DHSMV) fifth annual report on Red-Light Safety Cameras, there has been a reduction in crashes at red-light safety camera intersections involving “non-motorists”– pedestrians and cyclists. These collisions at red-light safety camera intersections fell by nearly 20 percent while at the same time the number of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities statewide climbed nearly 33 percent during the four-year period studied in the report. The report also noted chances of being involved in a crash are 23% less likely at an intersection with a red-light safety camera than at other locations statewide in Florida.
The City of Miami is a walkable community! People walk and ride bikes daily. If we can not protect people in vehicles how are we supposed to cut down on injuries and deaths for our most vulnerable road users now that they have taken this ‘safety net” away?
I honestly do not know what the answer is. I am an advocate through and through. My voice will never be dimmed because saving lives with love is way too powerful! Mark Wandall was “mowed down” by a red light runner. He did not have to die due to a red light runner. He DID and in his name many lives have been saved. I live the life of a survivor and I am proud of the work that has been done in my husbands untimely death. Taking away these cameras in Miami does not hurt me personally but it hurts my heart to know that the risk is now on a high level and that many more people will be “walking” in my shoes.
Over 3200 people died on our Florida roadways in 2016 and we are surpassing that number in 2017. If 3200+ people have died then the family members of those people in grief is vast – you can not even fathom the number.
Road tragedy does not discriminate. Perhaps our politicians have never been affected by road tragedy? While I am incredibly grateful that they have not been, I am perplexed as to why they do not support our efforts since we are just trying to keep their families safe, too.
