Bill Proposes Automatic Work Zone Speed Cameras
Work zone safety is a major issue in this country. Each year some 900 people are killed with over 40,000 injured in U.S. work zone crashes. There is a reason for those orange barrels, cones and flashing signs. A work zone means driving conditions are hazardous and there may be persons working in the impacted area, slow down!
National Safety Council statistics show most of those killed or injured in work zone related crashes are motorists, not workers when present. Those figures prompted Scottsboro Rep. Mike Kirkland (R-23) to carry the Alabama Work Zone Safety Act in the lower chamber.
The house legislation is a carryover of Senate Bill 341 which would launch a pilot program to have an automated photographic speed enforcement system, which would take a picture of the back license plate of a speeding car. ALEA would then mail out a ticket with a fine. But that photo and fine didn't sit well with some house members during Tuesday's floor debate.
“We are taking away people’s right of presumption of innocence until they’re proven guilty,” St. Clair County Rep. Jim Hill (R-50) told lawmakers. “We’re saying you’re guilty until you’re proven innocence. And we’re taking away their right against self-incrimination.”
Hill complained the legislation, while well intended, would take away a driver's constitutional rights. That led to his submitting an amendment that that would remove the $250.00 monetary fine from the bill and make the ticket a warning. It was approved by a 51-47 floor vote. The house then passed the legislation 82-16, sending it back to the Senate for concurrence.
The upper chamber then rejected the non-fine amendment, sending the legislation to a conference committee comprised of representative members from each chamber. They have two meeting days remaining in the session to reach common ground.
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