Speed-trap cameras approved by Senate

Speeding drivers in Seattle could soon be caught on camera.

The state Senate approved legislation Saturday that would allow the city to nab heavy-footed drivers with snapshots similar to those now used to ticket red-light-runners.

While some see Big Brother and a runaway nanny state lurking behind the bill, proponents argue that accidents and injuries caused by speeding warrant such a deterrent.

"It's amazing how fast people are driving, especially in parts of North Seattle where there are no sidewalks," said Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, the bill's prime sponsor.

Jacobsen's bill, which passed 28 to 21 largely along party lines, needs to be approved by the House and Gov. Christine Gregoire to become law. Then the City Council would have to authorize it and determine camera locations, amounts of fines and other details.

Police cameras have been used in Seattle since July 2006 to watch stoplights. The initial stoplight program was considered so successful that the council and Mayor Greg Nickels are expanding it from four intersections to 22.

Red-light cameras led to 16,539 tickets between July 2006 and July 2007, and 72 percent of them were paid. Those tickets brought in $1.1 million for a program that cost $460,000.

During that time, the number of stoplight tickets issued per camera in Seattle was cut in half, from 90 per week to 44. City officials said the drop resulted from people changing their driving habits at the intersections with cameras.

If a driver runs a light, the cameras snap a photo of the car's license plate. A police officer reviews the footage and, if approved, a citation is mailed to the vehicle's registered owner.

Drivers can review footage on a Web site. If they sign an affidavit claiming someone else was driving their car, the ticket will be dismissed.

The citations were $101. They increased to $124 last month.

Jacobsen's bill would limit the cameras to city arterials, or major streets.

Sen. Cheryl Pflug, R-Maple Valley, said she voted against Jacobsen's bill because it would divert police officers and public money from more important tasks. "Most people are not appalled by someone speeding, they're worried about rapes, identity theft and meth problems," Pflug said.

She also said she's disturbed that the role of police officers is shifting from protecting the public to generating revenues for the city treasury.

City Councilman Nick Licata, who urged Jacobsen to sponsor the speed-camera bill, said he'd like to see the citation money dedicated to pedestrian and traffic safety.

Licata's stepson was badly injured when hit by a car while crossing a North Seattle street. He said statistics show a link between speed and accidents. "If we can reduce speeding on city arterial streets, I'm pretty sure we can reduce the number of collisions," he said.

Jacobsen and Licata said they don't know how the cameras would work. But they said cameras are used to nab speeders in Europe and Australia. "The technology is there," Licata said. "It's more a question of political will."

Council President Richard Conlin, who's been advocating pedestrian-safety measures for several years, predicted the council would support the new cameras. But he also said it would put them only where the city would see a "significant benefit."

A spokesman for Nickels said the mayor had not requested the new legislation but would "definitely take a look at it" because of the success of the red-light-camera program.

Bob Young: 206-464-2174

or byoung@seattletimes.com