A newly proposed bill in the Texas Legislature would outlaw red light cameras in Texas, reports KHOU.
A hearing was held on the measure, which is known as Bill 88, last week. Some Texas law enforcement agencies showed up to oppose the bill; they say stoplight cameras decrease accidents in the intersections where they’re installed.
However others in Texas, including the largest city in the state, disagree. Houston removed its red light cameras several years ago.
Randall Kallinen, a Houston attorney, says the technology removes the right to a jury trial. He also pointed to privacy concerns, and noted that there’s no way to know whether someone other than a car’s registered driver was behind the wheel at the time of the infraction. Kallinen also pushed back against the claim that the lights reduce wrecks, claiming that the technology didn’t reduce collisions in Houston when they were legal in the city.
