Bill > H3754

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for automated road safety camera enforcement in Massachusetts municipalities. The legislation allows cities and towns to install automated road safety camera systems to detect specific traffic violations, including running red lights, making prohibited right turns on red, speeding, and blocking intersections. Cameras can be placed on local roads or state-controlled roadways with permission, and each location must be approved by local government after a public hearing. Fines for violations range from $25 to $150, and for the first 60 days after implementation, municipalities will issue only warnings. The bill includes extensive provisions to protect individual privacy, such as requiring that photographs not identify vehicle operators and limiting the use of collected data. Rental car companies can transfer liability to the actual driver, and vehicle owners can contest violations through written appeals or hearings. Importantly, these camera-issued violations will not be considered moving violations on a driver's record or affect insurance premiums. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation must review and approve implementation plans, with a specific focus on social and racial equity impacts, and will be required to submit annual reports analyzing the program's effects on public safety and traffic congestion.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3754