Traffic Cameras Get Cold Shoulder From Ohio State Senate

Big Brother got a major disappointment in Ohio Wednesday when the Ohio Senate passed legislation to ban traffic cameras throughout the state.

The 24-9 vote sends Senate Bill 342 to the Ohio House, which appears ready to approve the bill.

S.B. 342, according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group, would require a police officer to be present before giving a motorist a ticket for running a red light or speeding.

It’s important to note that the bill doesn’t ban traffic cameras per se, but the requirement for an officer to be present cancels out the whole purpose of using traffic cameras. If an officer is on hand anyway, what use is the camera? And few if any police departments have the budgets or personnel to post an officer everywhere a traffic camera likely would be posted.

The statewide legislation comes on the heels of recent voter-approved laws in Cleveland and Maple Heights, and according to the Northeast Ohio Media Group, Cleveland Police already have outlined plans to replace existing traffic cameras with patrol officers equipped with radar guns.

S.B. 342 contains other provisions that should make most motorists smile. This include allowing cities to only ticket speeders caught by traffic cameras if they’re driving at least 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit; warning signs to be posted at camera locations; and require a safety study at an intersection before allowing a traffic camera to be installed there.

Read the whole article at Northeast Ohio Media Group/Cleveland.com.