Taking the Green out of Red-Light Cameras

While many Texas cities have turned to automatic cameras to ticket drivers passing through red lights, Texans want to know that safety – not money – is the overriding factor in this new method of traffic enforcement.

In recent years, red-light cameras have popped up all over Texas. And they’re all unregulated. At least until now.

Representative Jim Murphy (R-Houston) sponsored two key pieces of legislation that would regulate red-light cameras and prevent cities or contractors from turning them into a cash cow.

“It is vital for the State to exercise its right to regulate red-light cameras to ensure that they are used appropriately, fairly and uniformly across the State,” Murphy said.

SB 1119 creates a statutory framework for regulating the cameras, while a related bill, SB 125 takes out the financial incentives for the cameras. SB 125 dedicates a portion of the proceeds of tickets to fund trauma care hospitals – the very hospitals which deal with many victims of accidents at red lights.

The bills also address safety needs by requiring cities to conduct traffic engineering studies at intersections with large numbers of tickets, in order to find ways to reduce the number of red light violations. Intersections chosen for red-light cameras must also be chosen based on safety – not money concerns.

Both pieces of legislation were filed in the Senate by John Carona (R-Dallas).

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