500 red light runners caught in Hutto

HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) - Red light cameras are just over a month old in Hutto, but already there have been hundreds of violations. The cameras went online on November 16, but before they went online, there was a 30 day trial period. In that time, more than 500 drivers were caught on camera, running red lights.

The city has set up three red light cameras, all along Highway 79. Two are set up at the intersection at Exchange Boulevard and the other at FM 1660. "We really were surprised about the number," said Hutto Police Chief Harold Thomas. "We hope to drive that down. It's very hard to work these intersections in patrol cars, because it's along the highway and of course, if they see a patrol car monitoring it, everybody stops."

Thomas said Tuesday that patrol cars cannot be set up at these intersections at all times, but the red light cameras are there at all times, snapping pictures of those who break the law. The pictures and video are first reviewed by the Traffic Company, then sent back to the police department to review. Harold said they even hold their own drivers accountable and that one of the 500 who received a warning was a Hutto police officer.

"The ones that actually came to a walking California roll, we rejected those," said Thomas. "It's the ones that drove straight through [that got a warning]." However, with 500 warnings going out to Hutto drivers who ran red lights during the trial period, some drivers fear the cameras may actually create accidents by creating a feeling that you should slam your breaks on a yellow light.

"I'm a lot more cautious of the yellow lights," said Donna Whittaker, a Hutto driver. "I tend to not want to just go through them. It's like 'okay, I better hurry up and stop.'" The traffic company is still in the process of reviewing pictures taken since the cameras officially went online. The 500 violations recorded over the 30 day trial period were sent out as warnings, not fines. Any violation recorded now will result in a $75 fine.