Red Light/Speed Cameras in 1st Class Cities

This bill allows law enforcement agencies in a first-class city (presently only Milwaukee) to use automated speed enforcement cameras and red light cameras to detect 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 presents mixed results.
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.
The use of red light and speed enforcement cameras in other jurisdictions have raised significant concerns regarding revenue generation, with municipalities prioritizing profit over safety. An analysis by ProPublica found that households in majority Black and Latino ZIP codes in Chicago received red light and speed camera tickets at around twice the rate of those in white areas between 2015 and 2019. This has led to significant financial burdens, including over half a billion dollars in penalties for Black neighborhoods over 15 years, contributing to vehicle impoundments, license suspensions, and bankruptcies.
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.