WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Biden administration’s new plan to improve road safety includes new funding for promoting speed safety cameras.
“It reminds you to drive at a safer speed,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Buttigieg said the push is part of a multi-billion-dollar strategy to fix roads across the U.S. and stop senseless deaths.
“We need to treat this issue of roadway deaths as the crisis that it is,” Buttigieg said.
According to federal data, annual traffic deaths are rising, killing an average of 40 thousand people each year.
“That’s not normal. It feels normal because we’ve grown up with it but we would never tolerate 40 thousand people a year dying in airplane crashes, 40 thousand people a year dying on subways,” Buttigieg said.
Right now, eight states ban the use of speed cameras.
Secretary Buttigieg says it will be up to the cities and states where they are legal to decide if they want to take advantage of the new federal grants.
But the National Motorists Association says the push is a mistake.
“It’s really frustrating that federal government wants to do this,” said Sheila Dunn, NMA Communications Director.
Dunn argues that not only do speeding cameras not work, they are also unconstitutional.
“They don’t protect your rights. We in this country have something called the fourth amendment and we should be able to face our accusers. You cannot face a camera,” she said. “Sometimes they get the wrong person.”
She says the only outcome will be steep fines for drivers. But Buttigieg says the price of inaction is too high.
“We can’t go on like this,” Buttigieg said.
While Buttigieg is defending the administration’s strategy, he insists speed cameras are not sole solution to make roads safe. He encourages anyone opposed to the installation of speed cameras in their state or community to speak out.
