As speed cameras spread to more states, so does the backlash from drivers

As speed cameras spread, so does the backlash from drivers Millions of drivers across the country are encountering speed cameras for the first time, or will soon. Some don't like it, but advocates say there's clear evidence that cameras make roads safer. National As speed cameras spread to more states, so does the backlash from drivers August 14, 202612:54 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered Joel Rose As speed cameras spread to more states, so does the backlash from drivers Listen · Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www. npr. org/player/embed/nx-s1-5927506/nx-s1-9888077" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript Speed cameras have sprung up in school zones across Florida, including this one in Broward County. Joel Rose/NPR hide caption toggle caption Joel Rose/NPR MIAMI — If you've driven in Florida recently, you may have seen the speed cameras springing up in school zones across the state. Carlos Acosta wishes he hadn't. "I think it's a money grab," Acosta said. "That's what irks me the most. It's all about making money." Millions of drivers across the country are encountering automated speed cameras for the first time, or they will soon. Safety advocates say there's clear evidence that these cameras work to make roads safer. But there's also a growing backlash from drivers in Florida and beyond. Drivers like Acosta, who worked in the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office for 27 years before retiring. This spring, Acosta says he got two speed camera tickets in school zones near his house in a suburb of Miami. "I'm all for protecting the kids coming and going from school," Acosta said. But he says both of his tickets were issued during the middle of the day, when those kids were inside the school. "So they're basically giving you a citation for going over the regular speed limit," he said. "That's where you get popped." National Eyes on the road: Automated speed cameras get a fresh look as traffic deaths mount Florida recently joined the growing list of states where speed cameras are allowed. So have California, Hawaii, Michigan and Minnesota. They're now legal in more than two dozen states, with each taking a different approach in terms of where the cameras are located, and where the money goes. In general, safety advocates say these cameras are working, and saving lives . "The whole point of the cameras is reducing the speeds, which leads to crashes at lower speeds when they happen, so there's fewer people dying," said Raul Avelar, an engineer with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit research organization funded .