What does the bill do? It allows municipalities in Massachusetts to opt in to setting up cameras specific for enforcing speed limits, red light turning, and "blocking the box."
Why is the bill important? Speeding and red-light running are major causes of serious injuries and deaths, especially for cyclists, pedestrians and other road users. Safety cameras would significantly reduce crashes, helping to slow cars and save lives. It will also provide accountability for unsafe driving without requiring resources from police officers, reducing the danger inherent in traffic stops.
Use of traffic safety cameras
What the proposed law does:
Cameras only activate when a violation occurs.
They only capture license plate images, not drivers' or passengers' images, similar to automatic tolling already in place.
Each violation is reviewed by a person before fines are issued and fines can be appealed.
Local governments must hold public hearings, post clear signage, run public education programs and publish annual safety and equity reports.
What the proposed law does NOT do:
Not share data: The law does not allow sharing data with other agencies, such as Flock cameras or federal databases.
Not affect insurance rates: Camera tickets do not add points to your license, are not moving violations, and will not affect your insurance.
Enforcement of traffic safety cameras
What the proposed law does
Fees start at $25 and any extra revenue goes to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund.
Automated enforcement reduces traffic stops and limits discretionary policing.
There are clear safeguards in place: no tickets for yellow lights, speed buffers built in, first 60 days are warnings only.
What the proposed law does NOT do
Not about revenue: This law prohibits profit-driven enforcement. Camera vendors and collection companies can't be paid per ticket and any extra net revenue cannot go to local or municipal budgets.
Privacy protections of traffic safety cameras
What the proposed law does
Strong privacy protections are built in: no front-facing photos, images deleted within 48 hours, data is not public and cannot be sold or shared.
Data is only available to law enforcement with a court order.
Cities must analyze and report racial and social equity impacts.
What the proposed law does NOT do
Not surveillance tools: The law sets prohibitions against selling data and using it for other purposes. They cannot be used to track people.
What would proposed bills S.2344 and H.3754 mean for the use, enforcement, and privacy protections behind traffic safety cameras?
We’re here to answer!
Follow for updates: www.massbike.org/legislation
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