Tampa Traffic vs. Orlando Traffic

Everyone knows about the indisputable feud between Tampa and Orlando. The two Floridian cities share the same interstate highway, but there can be only one… better city. When you weigh the pros and cons of both cities, they come out equal. What isn’t equal, however, is their traffic conditions. Which do you think is worse: Tampa traffic or Orlando traffic? Traffic is a deal-breaker. Just ask anyone who moved away from Dallas, Los Angeles, or Atlanta. Joining the ranks among the worst traffic conditions in the country could be one of these tourist traps. That’s why we’re breaking down the traffic conditions of Tampa and Orlando to discover which city has the worst traffic.

Orlando Traffic

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Rush Hour

Rush Hour is a major contributor to the traffic conditions in Orlando, Florida. Calm down, we’re not talking about the hit thriller/action film Rush Hour starring the amazing Jackie Chan and hilarious Chris Tucker. We know how much you love that movie. In fact, there are four specific times that are considered rush hour: 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, and, finally, 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. This accumulates to about 6 hours of traffic during the week. In other words, you could watch Rush Hours 1, 2, and 3, while waiting in rush hour traffic. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Disney World

Disney World brings in millions of tourists every single year, which makes Orlando one of the busiest vacation destinations in Florida. Between the out-of-state drivers and the drive-by gawkers, the roads can become a dangerous place. Immediately, they become filled with people driving under the speed limit, clogging up intersections, highways, and exits. Whenever tourist enters Orlando, they automatically become your 85-year-old grandmother. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

“The I-4 Mystery”

“The I-4 Mystery” is folklore told amongst locals throughout the city. It tells about the mysterious nature of interstate 4 traffic, which travels through downtown Orlando. Some days, traffic could flow perfectly, but other days it could be mind-numbingly gridlocked. Instead, “the I-4 Mystery” sums up the odds and ends of various reasons why traffic could be backed up. It’s not so much a mystery as it is road construction, roadside incidents, and traffic violators. [/framed_box]

Tampa Traffic

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Rush Hour

Rush Hour times in Tampa aren’t nearly as bad as they are in Orlando. With fewer tourists checking in and out of hotels, Tampa will naturally experience less tourist traffic during mid-day. That doesn’t stop the bay city from having evening traffic. The rush begins at 7:30 to 9:30 AM and picks up again at 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM in the evening. Everyone just needs to see those famous Tampa sunsets. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Reckless Drivers

Reckless Drivers are in every city. They clog up the roads by driving sporadically. Especially when they get pulled over by a police officer. Nothing is more frustrating than shifting to one lane of traffic when a reckless driver gets pulled over. If this is you, maybe try becoming a defensive driver. Also, if you enroll in traffic school, you can save money by keeping your auto insurance rates from increasing. Two birds, one stone, but in Tampa beach terms: two seagulls, one volleyball. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

A Good Economy

A Good Economy is a fantastic news for a city’s growth. However, when a city grows in the population without updating its infrastructure, it could lead to traffic congestion. Forbes listed Tampa as one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas, but the roads are having a hard time keeping up. More cars mean more traffic. Regardless of which city has the worst traffic, the important advice to remember, when driving, is to be a defensive driver. When you’re not, and you get a traffic ticket, remember you can prevent your auto insurance from increasing by enrolling in a traffic school. Now go watch some Rush Hour. [/framed_box]

Florida Tourist Traffic Traps

I'm sorry, but you haven't provided the text that needs rephrasing. Could you please share the text you want me to rephrase? For tourist and speeders, traffic traps are the bane of highway travels. Lurking in the shadows, highway patrol waits for their unsuspecting victim to speed through their trap. But, the victims aren’t so much victims as they are perpetrators for violating the traffic laws. Once they get a ticket, they usually opt to take online FL traffic school to dismiss the ticket. However, some highway patrol takes it too far. One example of excessive speeding traps is the scheme that occurred in Waldo, Florida. An investigation began in the tiny village after 7 police officers wrote 12,000 speeding tickets in one year. Speeding is always bad, but speeding traps are worst. The investigation led to the disbandment of the entire Waldo police force. Florida has the reputation of excessive speeding traps throughout the state, so we’re listing some of the top traffic traps for Florida tourist. [framed_box]

Lawtey

Like Waldo, this small shanty town is notorious for its high rate of speed traps. Be on the lookout for signs that quickly reduce speeds, school zones, and how fast you’re going through the town. When driving through this town, remember you can’t spell Lawtey without “Law” - as in, follow it. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Miami

One of the biggest cities in Florida, Miami has countless reports of speeding traps. Most reports note turnpikes, streets throughout the city, and occasionally on the highways. When visiting this town, remember you can catch some sun, beach fun, and some traffic tickets. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg has its fair share of traffic traps. When passing through the city, watch out for school zones and speed limit signs that fluctuate quickly. The police are relentless with issuing tickets. Instead of calling it St. Petersburg, it should be called St. Speedersburg. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Tampa

You can find yourself falling into a traffic trap whenever you take an exit in Tampa. Drive the speed limit, or a few below, when you leave a highway. Police like to pull over unsuspecting speeders who are adjusting their speed. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Lady Lake

In this small town, reduce speed signs are littered throughout the area. This makes the land ripe for ticketing. You’ll pass through this town when you’re taking US 441. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Sarasota

When you’re visiting Sarasota, be sure to check out the Big Cat Habitat or the Marine Laboratory, because you’ll need to do something happy after accumulating all your traffic tickets. Sarasota has an abundance of traffic traps. Be wary of traveling through this city; especially around bridges and school zones. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Gulf Breeze

When you’re vacationing to Destin (everyone loves Destin) watch out for speeding traps around Gulf Breeze on US 98. This area is known for the traffic traps set to catch you unsuspectingly. Which, everyone will be caught unsuspectingly, because the only thing people will be thinking about is their awesome vacation in Destin. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Orlando

Orland has one of the densest and unforgiving traffic traps in the state. Disney World can’t supply enough magic and wonder to make these traffic traps vanish. Some police officers like to catch tourist, who are unfamiliar with the area, when they least expect it: right outside Mickey Mouse’s Kingdom. That’s how Disney World works, right? Don’t fall victim to the tourist traffic traps around Orlando. When you slip up and exceed the speed limit, you’ll be slapped with an expensive traffic ticket. Getting a traffic violation will result in a higher annual car insurance rate. But, there’s a solution to this problem. Enrolling in an online traffic school and passing your Florida driving test will keep your insurance rates from skyrocketing when you, unfairly, get ticketed. So, enroll in one of our online traffic school course to get started taking your test. [/framed_box]

Texting and Driving in Florida Primary Offense Under New Bill

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving is responsible for nearly 3,500 deaths across the country each year. Then there's the 390,000 that are injured due to the likes of texting and driving, eating, drinking, or something similar annually. Texting is certainly the distracted driving practice that's been getting the most attention. Think of it this way: If you're texting and driving a vehicle at 55 miles per hour, you've gone about the length of a football field in about five seconds. A lot can happen in a split second, let alone five seconds. You can learn about a lot of this in FL traffic school.

Bill HB 33

In an effort to drastically curb the number of distracted driving accidents in Florida, state lawmakers have introduced Bill HB 33, which, if signed into law, would make texting and driving a primary offense and come with much more serious penalties. According to Jackie Toledo, a state representative from Tampa that helped create the bill, more than 45,000 accidents in 2015 stemmed from distracted driving, resulting in about 200 deaths and almost 40,000 injuries. So just what would this bill, if passed, entail when it comes to penalties for distracted driving? They're quite steep: • A first offense would result in a $30 fine, plus court costs. The grand total would likely result in a penalty of more than $100. • A second-time offender within a five-year span would be charged with a moving violation. Three points would be added to their license and they'd likely pay a fine of somewhere north of $150. • A distracted driving offender that causes an accident would be hit with six points on their driver's license. • Any distracted driving violations in a school zone would warrant an additional two points against a driver's license in addition to other penalties. The bill is a bold proposal from a state government really looking to crack down on distracted driving - and you can learn a lot more about the true danger of distracted driving at our Florida school, named the best traffic school online by various reputable sources. Our defensive driving school can serve as a great refresher for learning the rules of the road, for getting points removed from your license or for being proactive and showing your insurance company how serious you are about driver safety.

Steps to Pay Online Florida Traffic Ticket

So, you’ve got yourself a traffic ticket in Florida. Congratulations on joining a special club that stretches from Pensacola to Miami – and to plenty of tourists as well! The Sunshine State may even lead the country in terms of numbers of speeding tickets, according to the National Motorists Association. And it makes sense -- drivers can encounter everything from theme park parking lots as large as some states; some of the most crowded urban interstates in the country, and all sorts of coastal highways and byways where it’s easier to watch the beautiful scenery instead of a rapidly-rising speedometer.

What to do with your Florida Traffic Ticket

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Be patient.

Do not pay it right away. You have 30 days to think over your options. But don’t wait too long, after 30 days, the state begins applying fines and other possible penalties! [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Be certain.

Paying can, however, lead to more “points” on your license. Too many points over a certain amount of time can lead to a suspension or revocation of your license from Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. If you’re at this point or getting close, consider finding an online traffic school, which can reduce the number of points. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Make Payment.

You will also however, have to pay the ticket along with attending traffic school. Luckily, Florida makes it easy to pay tickets. Payment can be mailed in, dropped off at a county courthouse or a state Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles office, or online in some counties. [/framed_box]

Steps To Pay Online Payments

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Step 1. Check County

Check County with the county where the ticket was incurred if this service is available. If you can’t remember, the county name and instructions will be printed on the ticket. If you can’t find your ticket, contact the county where you believe it happened, and they’ll assist and either send you a reprint or at least tell you the payment procedure. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

Step 2. Check Clerk List

Look at list of all 67 county clerk offices, provided by Florida’s Division of Library and Information Services. Here, you can get a geographic address, phone number and other contact information, such as email, fax or web site. The list doesn’t say whether any particular office offers online payment; this requires browsing or calling the office to ask about payment, the process and what site to visit. Counties that do offer online processing make it fairly easy to find this information, such as Bay County, which provides a well-organized menu of fees and services, everything from license reinstatement costs to late fees. As with most legal situations, the burden to properly comply is up to the person with facing the penalty, so excuses like “my email bounced back” or “my Internet was down” are rarely adequate. [/framed_box] [framed_box]

3. Provide Info

If a county can securely process online payments through its site, it generally requests information from ticket-holders such as: • Your valid recognized credit card • Your ticket citation number and other information about it (day/time) • Your driver’s license info • Your full name • The amount to be paid Counties may also charge their own surcharge for local court/processing fees beyond the standard citation fee. This is usually no more than a few dollars. By the way, those who don’t want to pay their ticket online, or at all, don’t have too many good options. Ignoring it can lead to a suspension of your license within a month and bigger fines as time goes by. [/framed_box] You can also contest it, which includes requesting a hearing, calling witnesses, discussing the law and presenting evidence on your behalf to a judge. It can be time-consuming and ultimately more expensive in terms or time and effort, even if it’s dismissed.

• Discovering the cost of a speeding ticket in Alabama is as simple as clicking here: How much is a Speeding Ticket in Alabama?

Are Traffic Light Cameras Legal in Florida?

Want a straightforward way to tell if red light cameras are working in Florida? Just drive through any intersection and check your mailbox in a few weeks. No ticket? No problem. The BEST way, of course, is to obey all traffic laws and focus on safely stopping, which is often the stated reason why Florida cameras were even installed. Unfortunately, the Sunshine State has created confusion about its camera programs. While some municipalities appreciate the revenue Florida traffic cameras have generated, some citizens don’t like the idea of an unmanned machine watching them in the privacy of their car, and then issuing a huge fine without giving them a chance to legally defend themselves. The topic is discussed at city, county and state levels, and the Florida Legislature has gone back and forth over the lengthy lists of pros and cons. Several lawsuits are pending and the Florida Supreme Court has also offered little in the way of firm rulings and guidance, but plans to tackle the issue in early 2018. In the meantime, this has created a patchwork of areas and communities where there are plenty of active cameras (currently about 60); areas where there are cameras but they aren’t in use; and areas where cameras have been removed and locally banned. Because each municipality controls its cameras and policies, it also can create all sorts of possible fines. Essentially, as one traffic magistrate pointed out, enforcement and size of the fine and penalties vary widely. Even the Miami Dade Clerk can dismiss an infraction if someone signs up for a defensive driving course.

City/County Confusion

The Miami Dade County area is a good example of the uncertainty of Florida traffic cams. In 2016, county commissioners approved a ban on the cameras in unincorporated areas, which includes the greater Miami area. It reversed a 2011 ruling allowing Miami traffic cameras, but they were never powered on. But 16 cities in the county now permit these. Surrounding counties also has offering conflicting policies. In summer 2017, the cities of Pembroke Pines and Boynton Beach voted to reactivate cameras and begin ticketing drivers. Boynton Beach is the only one of 39 municipalities in Palm Beach County to activate these cameras. Policies in other communities also vary. In 2016, Tampa traffic cameras were extended for two years, while the Jacksonville City Council voted to end its program in summer 2017. Orlando has allowed them and then banned them. St. Petersburg has banned theirs.

Bigger Fights

The Florida House approved a statewide ban on red light cameras in the 2017 session by 2021, but the bill died in the Senate. Lawmakers had mixed things to say about cameras. They lowered the number of pedestrian accidents but increased the number of rear-end accidents inside intersections, often triggered when people brake suddenly. Supporters of the cameras also say local cities should determine their own policies. A similar bill is expected to be introduced for the 2018 session. At the same time, the state’s judicial body is considering the constitutionality of receiving red light tickets. The Florida Supreme Court plans to hear arguments in February 2018. This case revolves around how the City of Aventura uses cameras, while neighboring city Hollywood, doesn’t. The camera contractor is accused of reviewing footage to find possible violations, and then sending out tickets, which by law should be a task for law enforcement. Until the matter is settled, Florida drivers, especially those enrolled in online traffic school and learning to drive, should be aware of red light ticket cameras still in operation through the state.

• Plan your route wisely. Explore now: Check out the Kentucky Traffic Cameras