South Carolina Bans Photo Enforcement

[The Straight Story]

South Carolina Bans Photo Enforcement
South Carolina governor signs law banning speed cameras and red light cameras. Legislature passes measure unanimously.

SC Governor Mark SanfordSouth Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (R) last week signed a law banning the use of red light cameras and speed cameras in the state. The measure swept unanimously through the House, 106 to 0, on June 3 and in the Senate 38 to 0 on June 2. So far, fifteen states have taken legislative or judicial action to prohibit the use of automated ticketing machines. In addition, the voters in ten cities have thrown out photo enforcement by referendum (view complete list). South Carolina's law takes effect immediately.

Since 2006, the state had relied on an attorney general's ruling (view opinion) to keep cities from installing cameras. Ridgeland Mayor Gary W Hodges believed that he could ignore the ruling and install cameras on his personal authority. He signed a five-year contract with iTraffic, a private company that offered to operate a speed camera van on Interstate 95 trapping passing tourists in return for a cut of the profit generated. Bill Danzell set up iTraffic after his previous photo enforcement venture, Nestor Traffic Systems, went bankrupt. Now local sources suggest Hodges is considering running his freeway ticketing program in defiance of the new law, claiming his system will use more than just a photograph to prove a violation.

The new law states that photo tickets may not be used except during emergencies declared by the governor or president. In case of such an emergency, the camera ticket must be personally delivered by a police officer within one hour.

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/31/3176.asp

[PM Martin]

1. k/r

[Fumesucker]

2. I'm guessing that someone politically powerful got such a ticket..

That's what usually sets off this sort of reform..

[doc03]

3. good for them n/t

[napi21]

4. I don't think this is any big deal. Other than I85 which has not traffic lights, really doesn't

have many intersect ons where people run the lights. Not enough (IMO) to justify cameras. They have them here in Ga. and the State makes a ton of $$ off the tickets. I lived in the Greenville/Spartanburg area, so I don't know if that applies to Columbia, but those are the only large cities where cameras could be justified.

Did I see people running red lights? Hell yea! But they were small intersections where traffic was light and you might get 1 or 2 offenders week! Hardly rating camera surveillance.

[The Northerner]

5. K&R

[one_voice]

6. I hate those damn cameras...

I hope all the states do away with them.

We got a ticket in the mail a couple weeks ago, for a red light ticket from 2004. I don't even own the same car, and I couldn't find anything to prove I'd paid the ticket back in '04. They wouldn't let me get new tags for my car until it was paid.

Friggin 6 years later, :wtf: and I know I paid it, I never let those go unpaid. :mad:

[Ter]

7. Good for him

It's unconstitutional anyway.

[raccoon]

8. Good for him! Sanford and I actually agree on something. nt