Caught on camera out of state? NJ bill says you shouldn’t have to pay

When a speed camera or red-light camera in another state captures your license plate for a supposed violation, the companies behind those cameras need more information about you before they can actually issue a ticket.

Under a proposed law in New Jersey, the state wouldn't be able to share any of that pertinent info. It's sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate and Assembly.

"We want to short-circuit the process," Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, told New Jersey 101.5.

The bill blocks the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and other entities from disclosing the personal information of New Jersey drivers to another state for the purpose of imposing a fine resulting from driver behavior captured by a speed control device or a traffic signal monitoring system.

"If anything, these systems make our roads less safe," O'Scanlon said. "We should stop permitting these companies and their government co-conspirators from stealing from New Jersey residents."

O'Scanlon's bill is also backed by Democratic Sen. President Nicholas Scutari.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest that the presence of red-light cameras in certain states has not made a significant impact on the number of vehicle fatalities.

In 2020, for example, none of the six states with the best fatality rates had red-light cameras in operation.

Since 2023, the group Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety has been pushing automated speed enforcement as a safety measure. In their yearly reports, New Jersey loses points because cameras are prohibited.

New Jersey at one point allowed red-light cameras at intersections in two dozen municipalities. The experiment began in 2008 and ended in 2014.

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