I've been reading the law, linked in the news site; and, the document says, among many other things, in 316.0776(3)(a),
(emphasis mine)
"the county or municipality MUST NOTIFY the public that a speed detection system may be in use BY POSTING SIGNAGE
indicating photographic or video enforcement of the school zone speed limits. Such signage SHALL CLEARLY DESIGNATE
THE TIME PERIOD DURING WHICH THE SCHOOL ZONE SPEED LIMITS ARE ENFORCED using a speed detection system"
So it looks like the flashing light is a backup and enhancer and that the more important field is the current time of day.
Under the assumption that the time range text is easily visible, not covered in trees, not tiny, able to be seen by a person driving at the regularly posted speed from a distance that they can safely and reasonably slow down, etc, then it doesn't seem terrible.
THAT SAID, they should absolutely *FIX* the blinking lights.
In part of the article, it is declared that the traffic cameras caught 500,000 violations this school year ("since fall") across Florida, which is ... concerningly high. That's several thousand per day. Across all Florida, but still. Only about 3000 people protested across that; and, assuming all protests were genuine, that's less than a 1% broken light rate, which means broken lights are probably pretty quickly fixed.
I hope the signage either already has prominent time ranges and/or will have prominent time ranges in the near future. My thoughts on this are certainly complicated.
We have a 3 way intersection with lights outside my kid's elementary school. 30 min before and after the school day begins and ends, there is no right on red. There is a sign that says "no right on red during x times". There is a red arrow for the right hand turn. The crossing guard stops cars EVERY DAY that try to turn. The cops come out and ticket once a week during the school year and it persists. So yeah, I can see 500,000 violations a year. A majority of drivers really don't look, so yeah, f'em.
(emphasis mine)
So it looks like the flashing light is a backup and enhancer and that the more important field is the current time of day.Under the assumption that the time range text is easily visible, not covered in trees, not tiny, able to be seen by a person driving at the regularly posted speed from a distance that they can safely and reasonably slow down, etc, then it doesn't seem terrible.
THAT SAID, they should absolutely *FIX* the blinking lights.
In part of the article, it is declared that the traffic cameras caught 500,000 violations this school year ("since fall") across Florida, which is ... concerningly high. That's several thousand per day. Across all Florida, but still. Only about 3000 people protested across that; and, assuming all protests were genuine, that's less than a 1% broken light rate, which means broken lights are probably pretty quickly fixed.
I hope the signage either already has prominent time ranges and/or will have prominent time ranges in the near future. My thoughts on this are certainly complicated.