Automated Speed Enforcement To Be Proposed For Some PA Communities

HARRISBURG, PA — New legislation will soon be introduced in Pennsylvania that would allow automated speed enforcement measures in boroughs across the state.

Current law allows automated systems to enforce school bus stop arms, and there is also a pilot program that uses automation to enforce speeding in certain work and school zones. However, as a general rule, automated enforcement is not permitted otherwise.

"Automated speed enforcement programs in Pennsylvania continue to increase safety for motorists, pedestrians, maintenance workers and even school children," State Rep. Joe Hogan (R-Bucks) wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum. "I believe it is imperative that we continue to increase the safety for motorists, and pedestrians across the Commonwealth."

While numerous other leaders from across the aisle in Pennsylvania have spoken out in support of a similar measure to Hogan's in the past, there is also significant pushback.

Automated systems are not perfect, and far from it, in some cases. In one survey of red light violation cameras in Pennsylvania, the accuracy rate was as low as 3 percent, according to an Inquirer investigation.

Beyond the inaccuracies in the technology, other critics point to cameras less as a safety enforcement technique and more as a way for local governments to make more money.

The nonprofit Fines and Fees Justice Center argued in a report that automated systems do not improve community safety on the whole and also disproportionately impact communities of color.