We’re all aware that traffic cameras are being used in many places around the country – in some places under protest – to catch people speeding through red lights. Now, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell says a network of such cameras could be used to help identify uninsured motorists, thus bringing money into the state treasury.
Governor Rendell suggested the plan last week, while urging his state’s senators to consider a host of ideas designed to address a revenue gap of $470 million, caused, in part, by a federal rejection of turning Interstate 80 into a tollway. Last year, the state contacted commercial firms for proposals on the setup and management of online “insurance verification systems” but so far, no contracts have been awarded.
Under the proposed system, cameras installed along state highways would snap pictures of vehicle license plates, then cross-reference them with the driver’s insurance information. Those motorists who are driving without valid insurance in force would be notified that they must pay a fine, which would be collected by a contractor for a percentage of the revenue.
In his meeting with the Senate Transportation Committee, Governor Rendell said, “Drivers without insurance put all drivers at risk. For that reason alone, we should be employing that technology.”
The governor estimated that his camera plan would generate about $115 million / year, and is just one of several ideas he has proposed in order to generate revenue for hundreds of road and bridge projects. Other ideas include taxing oil companies on excess profits, and increasing state vehicle and registration fees.
While the state senate has approved a red-light camera bill that would allow for the placement of cameras at an unlimited number of intersections in order to nab traffic law violators, some of the senators have expressed concerns about using cameras to verify drivers’ compliance with state laws.
Senator John Gordner (R-27, Berwick), a member of the transportation panel who questioned where the use of surveillance technology will end, said, “This is really scary.”
Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania president Samuel Marshall said that the system would be dependent upon insurance companies providing real-time data about customers who terminated policies or switched to other insurers, and that existing technology can’t do that. A major complication, he said, is that customers often use variations of their full names (adding or deleting their middle initials, for example) when signing official documents.
“It’s one of those ideas that sounds good in theory, but doesn’t hold up in practice,” he said.
