Lawmakers in Ohio have proposed a bill that would ban red-light and speed cameras on Ohio roads, prohibiting law enforcement officials from using the cameras to enforce traffic laws. Supporters of the ban say that the cameras are only used to fine more drivers for minor traffic violations and infringe on a driver's privacy. On the other side, law enforcement officials in Ohio said that the cameras increase safety on the road.
Police departments across Ohio support the use of red-light and speed cameras as they have already helped decrease the number of car accidents across the state. In addition to accidents decreasing, police say that traffic violations have also decreased as a result of using these cameras.
How do these cameras work? The cameras are installed on traffic lights in intersections. When a vehicle runs a red light or is speeding, the camera takes a picture of the vehicle and driver. After the picture is taken, a private company screens the photos and then submits them to law enforcement for police to decide who will receive a traffic citation. The citations issued do not impact a person's driver's license record and are considered to be civil offenses.
While law enforcement officials said that the cameras have increased safety on the road by decreasing the number of car accidents at intersections, supporters of the bill question these claims. Supporters say that there is no evidence that these cameras reduce accidents, and that issuing a citation based off the camera's photo violates a driver's right to face his or her accuser.
The debate over prohibiting red-light and speed cameras will only intensify until it is voted on. However, traffic safety advocates and opponents of the bill say that it is the state's duty to protect all driver's from being in a car accident instead of protecting the rights of reckless drivers who run red lights or speed through intersections.
Source: The Plain Dealer, "Ohio traffic camera ban is a bad idea, police say," Rex Santus, April 23, 2013