LEON VALLEY – Drivers going through Leon Valley beware: The grace period for those who run red lights is coming to an end.
Starting Wednesday, Leon Valley police will begin to issue $75 citations to those caught running a red light through the new red light camera program.
According to Leon Valley Police Chief Joe Salvaggio, 10 red light cameras went online on Jan. 22, but the city only issued warnings to those caught during the grace period. On Wednesday, citations will go out.
“We’ve seen school buses to 18-wheelers running these things on a regular basis. It’s a dangerous thing,” Salvaggio said.
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So far, 371 warnings have been mailed out. Salvaggio said some intersections had up to 50 violations captured in one day.
The first cameras to go up were at Timco West. The number of violations and the dangerous driving caught on camera surprised Salvaggio.
“I’m amazed, not only of the close calls, not only vehicle-to-vehicle, but also vehicles-to-pedestrians,” Salvaggio said.
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The chief said he's already seeing a drop in the number of infractions since the installation of the red light cameras.
“We hope those lights' flashes not only warn them, but somebody else that sees it, and say 'I need to not run that light.'”
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There will be a $25 late fee to those who do not pay their citations on time. Police officers will review every infraction and determine if a ticket will be issued.
Those who get a ticket in the mail will be able to view it online and will be able to appeal the ticket.