Bill > H7071

This bill revises regulations surrounding traffic infraction detectors, which are devices used to enforce traffic laws, often for red-light violations. Key provisions include requiring that any funds a county or municipality retains from traffic infraction detector violations must be used solely for public safety initiatives, including the administration of the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program. The bill also updates reporting requirements for counties and municipalities to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), specifying detailed information that must be included in their annual reports, such as camera locations, operational dates, and crash data near detectors. It introduces penalties for noncompliance with these reporting requirements, including the temporary withholding of retained revenue. Furthermore, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is authorized to inspect traffic infraction detectors and related traffic control devices to ensure they meet specifications, and a notice of violation or citation cannot be issued if a detector is found to be non-compliant. Before installing any traffic infraction detector, counties and municipalities must document and provide to the DOT their consideration and reasons for rejecting alternative engineering safety measures, such as improving signal timing or visibility, as recommended by the Institute of Transportation Engineers.