- A Massachusetts bill would let cities install traffic cameras.
- The systems could catch speeding and red-light violations.
- Critics question the privacy and due process impact.
Automated traffic cameras are becoming more common in the USA. Now, a new bill in Massachusetts could enable cities in the state to set up their own. Fines would be capped at $150, and while legislators say this isn’t a bill aimed at revenue, privacy advocates and constitutionalists have their concerns.
House Bill 4087, titled “An Act Relative to Traffic Safety at Intersections,” would allow cities and towns across the state to install automated cameras that photograph drivers speeding and running red lights. It wouldn’t require cities to use the technology, but it opens the door for state-wide use.
State Representative Orlando Ramos, a sponsor of the bill, told Western Mass News that this isn’t about money. “We are simply trying to keep the road safe, trying to keep the people on the road safe,” he explained. “We’re not trying to make money or make the city any money through this legislation.”…