A proposed federal surveillance ban may threaten speed and red light camera programs across the country, which some advocates say would force cities to pick between privacy and street safety.
Following months of rumors, The Flock-Off Act was officially introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in September, with promises to withdraw all federal funds from any municipality that contracts with a surveillance camera operator. And that’s not just limited to the notorious technology company for which the bill is named, which has deployed an estimated 116,000 motion-triggered cameras in neighborhoods across the US…
A proposed federal surveillance ban may threaten speed and red light camera programs across the country, which some advocates say would force cities to pick between privacy and street safety.
Following months of rumors, The Flock-Off Act was officially introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) in September, with promises to withdraw all federal funds from any municipality that contracts with a surveillance camera operator. And that’s not just limited to the notorious technology company for which the bill is named, which has deployed an estimated 116,000 motion-triggered cameras in neighborhoods across the US…
Ralph, who led a 2022 study on improving automated enforcement programs, says that the concern is valid — and has implications for safety outcomes, too. Amongst them is a scenario in which a speed camera operator, receiving a share of the revenue of each ticket issued, places cameras where they are likely to catch a maximum number of violations, not where they are most needed.
“When a speed limit shifts from 35 to 25 [miles per hour], you post up there, you get a lot of drivers in the transition — but maybe there are no crashes there,” she said.
Some advocates also cite the potential for racial discrimination as a key drawback of automated systems. A 2022 study found that automated enforcement cameras in Chicago issued a disproportionate number of tickets in the city’s majority-Black neighborhoods.
Though the study could not identify the race of the drivers themselves, the findings raise significant concerns about a technology touted as a fair alternative to traditional enforcement.
The Flock-Off Act, though, doesn’t attempt to address any of those concerns, instead banning them outright.
Ralph says that’s a shame, considering how many levers cities have available to them to ensure cameras are used fairly. For example cities could invest ticket money back into infrastructure to improve street safety — preferably close to the camera’s location, so no one gets hurt there again.
“How you spend the [revenue from tickets] matters a ton,” she said.
Ralph also encouraged cities and towns to reconsider how they use monetary fines as a punishment.
“There’s a real concern that [automated traffic enforcement] is a tool for the … pipeline from poverty to prison,” she said. Rather than creating a flat-rate for fines, she suggests a smaller fee for a first infraction, to mitigate excessive punishment of drivers who are unlikely to be repeat offenders.
On the other hand, some drivers may not be dissuaded by a ticket at all.
After repeat violations, Ralph suggests that governments consider non-monetary punishments like mandatory speed governors. One 2022 study from New Zealand found the devices to be incredibly effective at limiting recurring speeding, providing some hope for the strategy’s viability in the US.
If nothing else, advocates say the architects of automated enforcement programs need to learn from Flock’s mistakes and warn communities that they’re about to installed – while offering education about their potential to save lives.
Shawn Joseph, a transit advocate and software engineer in Irvine, California, says Flock cameras cropped up in his neighborhood with minimal to no public input.
“People want the technology in their communities to be a choice,” Joseph said.
With proper enforcement, catching dangerous drivers in the act can deter the behavior in the future. But Joseph, Huse, Ortiz and Ralph all emphasized that designing streets for lower speeds can deter bad driving before it happens. Narrowing 10 to 13 foot travel lanes to nine feet, for instance, can reduce crashes on higher-speed roads.
“We should really start with how we’re designing our streets,” Ortiz said. “Make it uncomfortable to speed and uncomfortable to run red lights.”
Preventative design can even mitigate concerns of surveillance by taking punishment out of the equation altogether.
If you are worried about privacy, just drive the speed limit,” Ralph stated.