MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) – Across Wisconsin, cities and towns use intersection cameras to reconstruct accidents. However, those cameras cannot be used to issue tickets for speeding or running red lights, which could change soon if the legislature passes a bill.
Assembly Bill 365 would allow the use of cameras to catch those driving 20 miles-an-hour over the speed limit or running red lights, but only in Milwaukee.
It is a problem a lot of Wisconsinites can relate to. Back in August, AAA announced red light running hit a 10-year high across the state.
AAA says there were 22 red light running-related fatalities across Wisconsin in 2017, which is a 150 percent increase over the 2008-2016 average.
According to the AAA Foundation:
- 28% of crash deaths that occur at signalized intersections are the result of a driver running through a red light.
- Nearly half (46%) of those killed in red light running crashes were passengers or people in other vehicles and more than 5% were pedestrians or cyclists. Just over 35% of those killed were the drivers who ran the red light.
As recent as June, Milwaukee Police Officer Kou Her was killed while driving home from his shift by a suspected drunk driver who ran a red light.
This isn't State Rep. David Crowley's (D-Milwaukee) first time introducing this kind of legislation.
“It's extremely important that we continue to push this to ensure safety, but to also make sure people think twice,” Rep. Crowley said. “We know that this isn't the panacea and it's not going to solve all of the problems related to reckless driving, but this is a good step in the right direction.”
Authors of the bill say they are open to the idea of expanding their legislation to include other towns and cities across the state and initially proposed Milwaukee because of demand from constituents.
“I think everybody here is open to making every bill that we put forth better, but we want to make sure that we can do what we can for the City of Milwaukee,” Rep. Crowley said. “But if the rest of the state and the rest of my colleagues feel that this is a need that we need across the state, I think that's a conversation we're open to having.”
Since the cameras would only take pictures of license plates, Rep. Crowley thinks his bill balances safety and any privacy concerns.
“There are already cameras at many of these intersections, not only in the City of Milwaukee but across this state, and so while we may be afraid of big brother, and privacy, and I think many of those concerns can be very valid, we have to make sure we have a delicate balance when it comes down to safety,” Rep. Crowley said.
Under the proposal, violators caught on camera would not get demerit points added to their driving record by the state Department of Transportation since it is the vehicle's owner who would be ticketed and there is no way to prove who was actually driving.
The Assembly Committee on Local Government heard public testimony Wednesday and will consider changes before possibly voting to send the red light camera legislation to the floor for a full vote by both houses.