On Red-Light Cameras and the Constitution (Houston, Traffic Laws)

[WSJ Law Blog]

Houston became the latest city yesterday to vote against using cameras to enforce traffic laws. Oppositions to the cameras has been based in part on claims that they violate the Constitution.



Houston city council member Sue Lowell, who voted against removing the cameras, told the Chron that the city will now be harder pressed to keep local motorists safe. “I don’t know how we’re going to protect the citizens,” she said.

Alas, we are not the Traffic Blog. (Perchance to dream). We turn to the topic because of its constitutional component.

At least a dozen cities and 9 states have banned traffic cameras, according to AP, which reports that opposition cameras is based partly on fiscal reasons (they can be money losers) and politics (voters are no fans of them.)

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