Senator Dora Drake (D) Wisconsin
By Senator Dora Drake
This past week, Milwaukee has once again showcased a culture of reckless driving with the continuation of street takeovers and traffic accidents, including in my district that cost the life of one of our community members. One instance showed an individual driving nearly 70 MPH before causing a deadly crash last Saturday morning. This traffic safety crisis is a public issue, and as a city, we can do more to save lives and change these deadly habits. That is why this week I have decided to reintroduce the Safe Roads Save Lives Act to give the city of Milwaukee an effective tool to save lives and change habits.
When we look at the data, over 1,166 people in Milwaukee have suffered fatal or life-changing injuries in speed-related crashes over the past five years. While traffic injuries and fatalities in Milwaukee have surged by 86% since 2012, the rest of the state has decreased by 6%. When we break it down even further, there are greater income and racial disparities that plague our community. According to the City of Milwaukee, Black residents of our city face fatal crash rates more than double those of our white residents, and Indigenous road users are killed at twice the national rate. Pedestrians in low-income areas are also three times more likely to be killed in traffic accidents. So, when I and other leaders in our city look at this data and hear from residents, we hear them loud and clear; we need to do something about it.
The Safe Roads Save Lives Act would allow the City of Milwaukee to utilize Automated Traffic Enforcement cameras at high-traffic intersections to target signal violators who are speeding over 15 miles per hour. These are known to many as “Red Light Cameras,” and as of this year, 29 states and Washington, D.C. allow the use of this technology, with another 18 working to incorporate it as well. Automated Traffic Enforcement programs have been proven effective at reducing speeding, traffic-related injuries, and fatalities. In other urban areas, traffic safety cameras have been shown to reduce injury crashes on principal arterials by up to 47%. By these numbers, had Milwaukee implemented a program like this in 2023, an estimated 2,543 injuries could have been prevented out of the 5,412 people injured in traffic crashes in the city that year.
While 60% of Milwaukeeans, based on an online poll sponsored by the city, support the use of “red light & speeding cameras”, I know from research presented to myself and concerns from residents that these tools have also been abused, causing harm to poor and Black residents in other communities. I have also heard concerns that this tool would be used as a “cash cow” to generate revenue from communities in our city that already have a high level of municipal debt. Last but certainly not least, I heard the fear that this technology would be used to increase community surveillance with facial recognition and data collection that could violate your privacy. I want to make it clear: I hear you, I share your concerns, and that is what I have negotiated to create clearly required guardrails along with community transparency and involvement in the process.
First, this program comes with statutory limits. These systems cannot be placed in more than 5 intersections in an aldermanic district and can only be deployed at high crash data-provided intersections. The law requires that all cameras be positioned to only read the rear license plate, and no traffic citation will be issued for a speed less than 15 miles per hour. In addition, these violations will not count towards suspension or revocation of your driving privileges or points toward your driving record. Finally, if your car was stolen and used, you will not be liable for the ticket.
Secondly, this bill gives local control to the Common Council and Mayor while giving strict requirements for community involvement, providing levers for public accountability. Part of these requirements include the creation of ordinances and a system policy subject to public review that outlines the purpose of the camera system and the rules of what they are allowed to do. It also must identify the information that may be collected by this system, who has access to the information and the procedure for any access or use. Finally, the ordinance must include provisions to protect this data from unauthorized access, data retention, public access, 3rd party data sharing, training, audition, and oversight. This must be done before any contracting, purchasing, or leasing equipment for these camera systems.
Next, the city must provide a system impact report for public review and comment that provides more information on the proposed sites of these red-light cameras and the relevant traffic data. The report must also provide an assessment of the potential impact on civil liberties and civil rights and the plans to safeguard those public rights. Lastly, it must include the fiscal costs of the system, including establishment costs, ongoing costs, and program funding. After those initial and operational costs are covered, the remaining dollars can only be used for traffic enforcement, traffic safety programs, and local infrastructure for road projects that curb reckless driving. Finally, this bill requires transparency on where these cameras will be installed, including visible traffic “Photo Enforced” signs near the intersections, and a public information campaign led by the City of Milwaukee with the locations of all to be listed on the Milwaukee Police Department.
The Safe Roads Save Lives Act promotes public transparency and accountability while prioritizing traffic safety. I understand the valid concerns surrounding the use of red-light cameras in our current times. To address these concerns, we are ensuring that our city has the authority to create ordinances that protect our privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
We have proposed statutory limits and policy requirements to prevent the use and need of facial recognition and have empowered the Common Council and Mayor to cultivate a policy that reflects our community’s values. As someone who has received parking tickets, I do not want this to become a cash cow, that is why we have outlined clear limitations. However, I believe that if you drive over 15 miles per hour on a city street, you are speeding and contributing to the culture of reckless driving. That is why the Safe Roads Save Lives Act is about changing reckless driving habits and saving lives, rather than generating revenue. Once we eliminate this epidemic, there won’t be any cash to milk.
You can find more information on the Safe Roads Save Lives Act including the legislation and a fact sheet on our website at legis.wisconsin.gov/senate/04/drake/.