Advocates has written to the Louisiana House Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works to oppose Senate Bill (SB) 99, which would prohibit the use of red light safety cameras and restricts speed safety cameras to school zones.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 811 people lost their lives on Louisiana roads in 2023, a 12 percent increase since 2019, prior to the pandemic. Speeding-related fatalities accounted for 30 percent (240) of the state’s traffic fatalities in 2023 and have increased 155 percent since 2019.
Speed safety cameras are proven to deter speeding and its impact and are recommended for state and local adoption by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), among others. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that speed safety cameras alone resulted in a 19 percent reduction in the likelihood that a crash caused a fatal or incapacitating injury.10 Similarly, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) found that speed and red light safety cameras reduce fatalities and injuries by 20-37 percent. Limiting use of speed safety cameras will take away a proven safety tool and thereby elevate risk for road users.
Law enforcement officers risk their lives when performing their duties on the roadways every day. Yet, it is implausible for them to be everywhere and catch every violation. Speed and red light safety cameras augment traditional enforcement without requiring a traffic stop.
The Pelican State should continue its traffic safety leadership instead of making roads more dangerous. We urge a rejection of SB 99.
Read the full letter here.