Originally Posted by
Empire 
they installed a few over here in St. Pete too. Up and down 4th street. The places they put them don't have anything to do with wrecks. it has to do with A) A cheap/easy place to install the cameras. Not all intersections are setup so that you can stick cameras at them. and B) the highest potential for revenue. Two of the intersections they picked I have never seen a wreck at. Ever. and I've lived in this area for 24 years. The one intersection that I have seen a few wrecks at didn't get a camera. They did put them at 4th and Gandy, which has the reputation for being one of the most dangerous intersections but then again, I have never personally seen a wreck there. However, I will tell you, that those cameras have already caused a high number of near misses. The bright ass flash right at the corner of your eye has distracted numerous drivers. I can't tell you how many times I have seen someone serve or hit their breaks or otherwise freak out when that flash goes off. People think they missed an ambulance, or they think it is head lights flashing at them from a car they missed that is about to hit them. The distracting flashes aside, All I see the cameras doing is making people stomp on the gas to get through the intersection on yellow, which has caused people to almost rear end the person in front of them multiple times. OR people slamming on their brakes and stopping short of the stop bar so they don't get their picture taken, which has almost cause numerous collisions. They have only been there for what, a week or so, and I have personally seen a dozen near misses already.
I've seen people distracted by the flash you speak of, and it's true, people have almost wrecked because of it. I remember reading that they were removed in other states because people kept fighting it in court.