Michigan Moves One Step Closer to Banning Red-Light Cameras

The Michigan legislature has moved one step closer to banning the use of red-light cameras to ticket drivers.

The Michigan Senate approved the measure with an overwhelming majority, today voting 28 to 10 in favor of the ban. The legislature would ban tickets and other traffic enforcement measures from images from cameras mounted to traffic lights.

Cities Banned from Using Cameras

Under Senate Bill 875, cities throughout the state would no longer be able to rely on cameras to catch drivers who violate Michigan or local traffic laws.

The bill states:  "Any citation issued on the basis of a recorded image produced by a photographic traffic signal enforcement system in violation of this section is void," according to the Detroit Free Press. 

Senator Lana Theis of Brighton sponsored the bill, calling the use of cameras at traffic lights a "money grab."

“It’s important Michigan bans the use of red-light cameras on our streets to not only help protect the lives of drivers and passengers, but also to protect their constitutional rights,” Theis said in a statement Tuesday. “I thank my Senate colleagues for standing up against these unnecessary money-grabs and urge the support of my House colleagues.”

Those who oppose the use of traffic cameras say their use can sometimes result in a ticket being issued to a vehicle owner who was not driving the vehicle at the time the image was taken.

Bill Goes to the House for Approval

The measure now moves on to the Michigan House for a vote before it goes to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her signature or a possible veto.