Perceptions among state and federal policymakers that the public opposes the installation of speed cameras has made the technology rare despite the fact it could reduce racial profiling and minimize police-driver interactions, according to a Rutgers study recently published in the journal Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives.
A total of 32 states have official or de facto bans on speed cameras, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
To shift public opinion, regulators should emphasize the technology’s ability to limit racially divisive interactions with the police, Kelcie Ralph, Rutgers associate professor of urban planning and policy development at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, said.