A DRIVER believes he was unfairly fined $100 for allegedly speeding in a school zone.
Joe Weaver from Hillsborough County, Florida, is among several motorists who blame a new law’s vague language for the citation and believes the state’s use of school zone cameras has become a money grab.
According to WPTV, Weaver is one of many residents who feel Florida’s school zone speed camera law is unfair – with some believing they incurred fines under confusing circumstances.
The speed cameras, installed in school zones across Florida, including Hillsborough County, are positioned near schools to monitor drivers and capture violations when they exceed the school zone speed limit – as designated by the signage in the area.
The law, which came into effect across Florida in 2023, mandates school zones to have signs indicating when the reduced speed limit is in effect.
However, the law does not require flashing beacons to be operational, even if the sign states “20 mph when flashing.”
This, in turn, has caused widespread confusion among drivers.
In Weaver’s case, a school speed zone camera caught him going 38 mph when he thought the speed limit was 40 mph.
And that’s because the school speed zone sign wasn’t flashing when he was driving past an elementary school near his home.
“I got a raw deal,” he told reporters.
He added: “One shouldn’t have to guess or be baffled by what’s right and what’s wrong.”
But Hillsborough County Magistrate Dr. Tom Santarlas, when discussing the issue around the signs and their lack of flashing lights, said: “It’s a bit confusing but that’s the way the law stands.”
“It can be one or the other, it doesn’t have to be both.”
“I don’t like this law,” he added.
“There are times when the legislature falls short of its goal when enacting law, this is one of those times.”
Worse still, drivers who choose to contest their fines must pay additional fees for court costs, while most appeals are unsuccessful and very few violations are dismissed statewide.
The law has also generated significant revenue, with nearly $32 million collected from fines in less than a year, according to data provided to us by RedSpeed – the company that operates the school zone speed cameras in Florida.
David De La Espriella, a former Assistant Police Chief in Miami Beach who works as a client relations director for RedSpeed, said: “It’s violator-funded.
“If you don’t want to pay $100, it is a very simple hack – don’t speed in school zones and you won’t get a citation.”
But many believe the law feels like a “gotcha moment” rather than a genuine effort to improve safety.
Karen Bowman, a parent and teacher who lives nearby, was fined after a camera captured her going 33 mph through a school zone.
She then paid an extra $75 to cover court costs in a bid to make her case – only to be unsuccessful when Magistrate Santarlas explained the law, which sees drivers get fined even if the sign isn’t flashing.
Bowman said: “I felt like it was unreasonable that I would get a violation from a camera when the light was not flashing.”
She later added: “I’ve gone on Facebook and posted and said, don’t fight these tickets because you’re not going to win.
“It just feels like a gotcha moment, like a money grab a little bit more than just concern for child safety.”
According to a legally reviewed post, there are five effective strategies to fighting a speeding ticket if it was wrongfully issued.
Source: FindLaw
WALMART Kroger and Target will restrict what you can buy under a shocking new ban on “junk” food taking place in 2026.
Health Secretary Robert F.Kennedy Jr. announced the right to reject use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits to buy unhealthy foods in six extra states.
Local authorities have signed six new waivers allowing the states to change what the food stamps can be used for in stores.
SNAP is a “supplemental nutrition programme meant to provide health food benefits to low-income families.”
Kennedy added, “For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy- products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics.
“These waivers help put real food back at the centre of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health.”
The new waivers will limit the purchase of supposed “junk food” using SNAP funds in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado, Florida and West Virginia starting in 2026.
Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Utah were granted similar waivers for SNAP reform earlier this year.
SNAP is an electronic, government funded program- once known as food stamps- which acts like cash for food.
It is run by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, which administers federal food assistance programs.
As stated on the UDSA website: “SNAP helps low-income working people, senior citizens, the disabled and others feed their families,”
“Eligibility and benefit levels are based on household size, income and other factors.”
According to USDA data SNAP served 42.1 million people per month in 2023, which is more than 12.5 per cent of the population.
Most of the 12 states that have already been granted SNAP waivers so far will be able to restrict the use of the food stamps for soft drinks or sodas.
At least eight states are limiting the use of SNAP funds on candy.
Some are regulating SNAP purchases of energy drinks and, in Arkansas, the purchase of “fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50 per cent natural juice.”
Florida will block food stamps from being used on purchases of “prepared desserts”
Iowa will restrict the purchase of “all taxable food items”- except foods that produce plants and seeds for food producing plants.
Taxable food items include candy, certain ready-to-eat snacks, soft drinks and gum.
The restrictions come after America’s attempt to fight chronic disease- “making America healthy again”.
Medical expert Dr. Darien Sutton said: “There’s no evidence that taking away access to soda will actually fight these conditions.”
“sugar is one of those culprits that you always have to be mindful of regardless”, he added.
“The U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that men have no more than 35 grams and women no more than 25 grams per day”, Sutton said.
