Red light cameras are already installed in some Connecticut cities and towns and lawmakers will again take on the debate to determine whether they can be used to enforce traffic infractions.
More than 400 U.S. cities post the cameras at busy intersections to snap photos of license plates on cars that speed or run lights and then send a ticket in the mail.
Since 2005, Connecticut state lawmakers have considered at least 15 bills on automated traffic enforcement. None have never been enforced.
Police officials believe the cameras help enforce the law and they make the roads safer. Now, municipalities and police departments are again pushing for them.
A study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety states that the number of fatal crashes dropped by 25 percent in cities that adopted the cameras.
The report said cameras are saving lives because drivers are interested in saving money.
“We think the psychology of red light camera enforcement is, it makes people aware that this is an infraction that's going to be enforced and people don't want to get tickets, so they pay more attention when they’re approaching intersections,” Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, said.
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Critics maintain the cameras violate privacy and other rights.
West Hartford has installed the cameras at some intersections, but law enforcement cannot begin issuing tickets until lawmakers are on board.
You can learn more by reading a research support compiled for lawmakers considering legislation here.
