Failed to pass both houses, will not become law this session
This bill allows law enforcement agencies in a first-class city (presently only Milwaukee) to use an automated speed enforcement system (ASES) to identify speed limit violations and allows the leadership of a first-class city to enact an ordinance that permits the use of a traffic control photographic system (TCPS) on highways under the jurisdiction of the city to identify traffic signal violations.
The premise behind the legislation is to curb reckless driving through the use of automatic speed enforcement and red light cameras, assuming that this technology will incentivize drivers to stop at intersections and slow down, thereby preventing car crashes. However, the research does not back this up.
While this technology has been shown to reduce some fatal car accidents in a circumstance where individuals would have otherwise run a red light or turned left at a red light, they have also been shown to increase rear-ends and other cars accidents due to drivers slamming on their breaks after noticing the camera or speed enforcement system.
In addition to due process concerns related to the identity of the driver, the use of this technology also presents significant privacy and surveillance concerns.
