No.
Red light cameras in Sarasota County and elsewhere flag only drivers who enter the intersection after the light turns red — not those who entered the intersection before the light turned red and may be still making their way through it.
Therefore, the size of the intersection doesn’t matter; as long as you cross the white line while the light is still green or yellow, you shouldn’t get ticketed.
What does matter is the duration of the yellow light — and your ability to stop or enter the intersection before it turns red. And the duration depends on the posted speed limit. In general, the faster the speed limit, the longer the yellow.
For example, drivers might get 3-4 seconds of yellow on a 25-mph street but 5-6 seconds on a 55-mph street. Transportation engineers use a formula to set these durations so drivers can either stop safely or clear the intersection.
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Sources
- Sarasota Police Department Red Light Cameras Information Page
- Florida Department of Transportation Traffic Engineering Manual (Section 3.6)
- Sarasota County Media Relations Email
