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Legislators in Tyler and Collin County have renewed interest in a state law that would give municipalities the authority to install a photographic traffic monitoring system at intersections. These devices would consist of a camera and a vehicle sensor installed to work with an electronically operated traffic-control system that would take a photograph of the back of an automobile that ran a red light. The photo would only show the license number located at the rear of the vehicle. The state law would impose a civil penalty on the owner of a vehicle if the license plate image captured on the film shows that the automobile ran a red light.
A study released last month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that an average of more than 800 people a year die and another 200,000 are injured when drivers run red lights at intersections. More than half of those killed are pedestrians or occupants of cars entering an intersection when their traffic light turns green.
The number of fatal accidents at traffic signals has climbed 18% from 1992 to 1998. This is more than three times the rate of increase for all other fatal vehicle wrecks.
In Texas the number of deaths caused by Texas drivers who run red lights is 3.5 per 100,000 residents, the survey showed.
Several states, including New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, California and Hawaii have red light camera laws in existence at the state level. Several states such as Ohio, Nevada, and Washington have communities that have enacted city red light laws that are independent of state laws.
Supporters of a red light bill feel that a photographic device would deter those who would consider running through a red light. Opponents of the bill state that we do not need the government further invading our privacy. They also fear malfunctions of the equipment could implicate the wrong vehicle.
I would be interested in hearing your opinion on this issue. Your comments will be filed and referenced should a Red Light Bill come before the Legislature in 2001. My Capitol office address is P. O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768.
State Representative Ron Clark
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
(903) 893-9426 * (512) 463-0474
(512) 475-3767 (fax)
ron.clark@house.state.tx.us
http://www.grayson.edu/district62/RonClark.html
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