3/16/05-An effort in the House to allow police to install cameras at traffic lights to catch those running red lights may be dead.
The House Public Safety Committee delayed action on the bill March 9 and instead opted to ship the measure off to a subcommittee. Referral to a subcommittee usually means a bill is tabled for the session.
The decision by panel chairman Rep. Thad McClammy, D-Montgomery, followed a public hearing that didn’t take long for members to express concerns about how the cameras might affect the privacy of innocent people in vehicles.
Under HB428, revenue from the tickets would stay with the municipality.
A ticket would be mailed to the vehicle owner after authorities review photos. A violation would not count as points toward a driver’s license suspension or be used by any insurance company to determine premiums. But no vehicle owner with an unpaid ticket could renew a vehicle tag or driver’s license.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. David Grimes, R-Montgomery, told the committee the maximum fine in the bill had been reduced from $250 to $100 to ease concern that the measure is a moneymaker for municipalities.
Other late amendments to the bill, distributed during the hearing, included exempting owners of stolen vehicles from paying fines if their vehicle is used to run a red light; using yellow light intervals that meet times outlined in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration handbook; and posting signs alerting drivers to the cameras use at affected intersections.
McClammy said later those last-minute add-ons were part of the reason a vote on the bill got delayed.
For House bill status, call (334) 242-7627. In Alabama, call 1-800-499-3052.
A similar Senate bill – SB200 – is in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.