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Changes are coming to Miami Beach\u2019s red-light camera enforcement.<\/p>\n
Miami Herald archives<\/p>\n
Drivers making a right turn on red in Miami Beach can breathe a little easier.<\/p>\n
The Miami Beach City Commission last week voted 5-2 to immediately suspend automated red-light camera enforcement for right turns on red after months of complaints from residents who said they were unfairly cited. The change does not apply at the intersection of 17th Street and Alton Road, where right turns on red are prohibited, and cameras will continue issuing citations to drivers who run red lights while traveling straight through intersections.<\/p>\n
The measure was sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez and Mayor Steven Meiner, who said they have received an overwhelming number of complaints from residents who believed they had come to a complete stop before turning.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been frustrating to see Miami Beach residents receive red-light camera citations even when the images showed their vehicles braking at a red light before turning,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cAt a time when we\u2019re working to improve affordability and quality of life, these citations have cost residents valuable time appealing their cases and, in many instances, more than $180 in penalties.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the discussion, Police Chief Wayne Jones defended the city\u2019s enforcement process, saying every citation generated by a camera is reviewed by a police officer before it is mailed to the vehicle\u2019s registered owner.<\/p>\n
Jones said the issue isn\u2019t faulty cameras but drivers making what is commonly known as a \u201cCalifornia roll\u201d \u2014 slowing down instead of coming to a complete stop before turning right on red.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are not stopping,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWhat they\u2019re doing in most cases making right turns is what is called a California roll. They slow considerably and then they turn.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cameras are programmed to activate when a vehicle enters an intersection above a preset speed threshold while the light is red. Jones said that threshold is currently about 7 mph and could be raised, but Fernandez said he was unconvinced that changing the settings would solve the problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t generally trust the technology,\u201d Fernandez said, adding that he suspected the system may not always accurately distinguish between drivers making legal right turns and those illegally running red lights.<\/p>\n