TRAFFIC CAMERAS: Legislation would authorize photo enforcement contracts statewide

Automated traffic photo enforcement systems would be authorized statewide under a bill proposed by Republican state Rep. Eddie Lambert of Gonzales.

Under the terms of the bill vehicle owners would face a civil penalty of up to $150 for a first offense and $175 for a second or subsequent offense for failing to stop at a red light equipped with a camera.

Local governing authorities, such as city and parish councils, would also be able to adopt ordinances providing for civil penalties. Law enforcement officers would have to examine all recorded images produced by the system before citations are given.

Individual cities would have to get a permit from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to install such a system. That permit would be valid for two years, after which it would have to be renewed.

If the Legislature approves the bill, it would become effective July 1. According to the draft, municipalities that already have such systems would have to obtain a DOTD permit by July 1, 2010, in order to continue using them.