Running red light becomes costlier
Associated PressPublished September 29, 2005
TALLAHASSEE - The cost of running a red light will go up this weekend.
Starting Saturday, the base fine for running a red light will increase from $60 to $125 under a law meant to increase the amount of money going to trauma centers.
The higher fine is expected to raise an estimated $600,000 this fiscal year. That doesn't include court costs that are added on to tickets and vary by county.
Another new wrinkle: Anyone running a red light a second time within 12 months has to complete a driver improvement course.
Nearly 300,000 drivers were ticketed for running red lights, and the offense was blamed in 115 deaths and 13,000 injuries in Florida in 2003, the last year for which statistics are available.