TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - There's a new push to regulate traffic signals with red light cameras in Florida.
The length of the yellow traffic light is one of the biggest complaints the city of Tallahassee receives.
It's especially troublesome for drivers at the city's 6 intersections with red light cameras.
“You could be pulling up to (traffic lights) and the lights turning yellow to red so quick, a lot of people have gotten caught,” said Robert Davis, a Tallahassee driver, “even my son got caught traveling through a red light camera."
Now state lawmakers want to make sure the duration of yellow lights complies with federal guidelines.
The measure passed a senate committee hearing Monday.
“Some constituents were complaining that certain yellow lights are a lot shorter than others,” said Sen. Rene Garcia, the bill’s sponsor, “and there were red light cameras there, so in order to do that we want to make sure we follow federal guidelines to ensure that we have a standard across the state that is uniformed."
Traffic officials in the city of Tallahassee say they follow the minimum guidelines for yellow light timing already.
But that's not good enough for Senator Ronda Storms, who has rapidly had problems with Tallahassee’s traffic lights.
“When I drive through it's green, I start to drive through the intersection, by the time I get through the intersection, it's red already,” Sen. Storms told ABC 27.
But city officials say they don't make the yellow light longer because drivers could then start to abuse that intersection and speed through. They also say it would shorten the length of the green light.
