Speed cameras are a common topic at statehouses. Each year, state lawmakers from coast to coast weigh changes to automated enforcement.
An Ohio state lawmaker is addressing the issue this fall.
The Senate General Government Committee met on Tuesday, Oct. 14. One bill discussed would implement new rules on companies operating speed cameras.
Sen. Tom Patton, R-Strongsville, told lawmakers there is no Ohio law governing speed camera manufacturers.
“We have no idea how many traffic cameras are in Ohio,” Patton testified. “Of those we were able to identify, the companies that operate these cameras are headquartered in Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, Sweden, Germany and Australia.”
According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, speed cameras collected $67.6 million in fines from Ohio motorists over a recent four-year period.
Patton said the camera dealers receive an average of 40% of the gross receipts from fines. He added that this amounted to $30 million going to out-of-state camera dealers.
“This number continues to climb each year these cameras are allowed to operate with virtually zero state oversight,” Patton said.
Senate Bill 213
The Senate bill would create a traffic camera dealer license.
SB213 would require anyone who sells, installs, repairs or otherwise manages a photo-enforcement device to obtain a license.
A speed camera license could be renewed annually.
The bill also sets a $100,000 licensing fee per camera. The fee would be paid annually.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety would be responsible for inspecting each camera. Camera accuracy would be verified monthly. Camera companies would be charged $5,000 each month per device for the service.
Ticket revenue distribution would remain the same. Local municipalities would continue to collect 60%. Companies would get the rest.
An 8% state tax also would be added to a camera dealer’s revenue.
Need for speed cameras questioned
Patton made clear to the committee he is no fan of speed cameras. He noted there is no attempt to intervene at the time of the violation and that instead, a better process would be to rely on police officers to handle enforcement.
“Simply stationing a police officer in a cruiser would be a visual deterrent to speeding and would allow the officer to intervene by pulling over speeding drivers and issuing tickets,” Patton said.
He added that there is no compelling evidence to support that speed cameras improve safety.
“This is nothing more than a revenue generator for a handful of municipalities and foreign companies at the expense of thousands of Ohio drivers,” he said.
State recently acted on topic
Speed cameras were also addressed in the state’s two-year transportation budget. The 227-page budget was signed into law this spring.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has reported that 15 local governments in Ohio run speed camera programs.
The budget bill included a provision to no longer permit counties and townships to operate a camera program.
The camera ban does not include cities and villages, which have home rule powers. The distinction allows them to pass laws to govern themselves. Their laws must comply with state and federal constitutions. LL
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