SLOW DOWN: STATES GET INFRASTRUCTURE CASH FOR SPEED CAMERAS

Drivers, beware: Speed cameras could be on their way to a location near you thanks to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law.

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Under new federal guidance issued this week, states can now tap billions of federal highway dollars for roadway safety programs such as automated traffic enforcement. They are being told that cameras that photograph speeding vehicles are an established way to help bring down rising traffic deaths.

It’s all part of the Transportation Department’s new national strategy to stem record increases in road fatalities with a broad-based “safe system” approach that promotes better road design, lower speed limits and more car safety regulations. The guidance by the Federal Highway Administration cites speed cameras in particular as a proven enforcement tool against hazardous driving.

The Federal Highway Administration’s goal “is to help state and local transportation agencies across the country deliver projects that make streets, highways and bridges safe and accessible for all users,” agency Deputy Administrator Stephanie Pollack said. “States now have more flexibility and funding to make highway safety improvements.”