Garden State Times

Senator Declan O'Scanlon has introduced a new bill, the Automated Enforcement Inoculation Act, aimed at protecting New Jersey drivers from out-of-state automated traffic fines. Senate President Scutari has joined as a co-prime sponsor for this bipartisan initiative.

Speaking about the bill, Senator O'Scanlon emphasized the need to prevent predatory fines for out-of-state traffic violations. He stated, "We need to pass this bill to firmly shut the door on this government sanctioned theft and protect our residents from predatory fines."

The bill, known as S-3067, would prohibit the disclosure of personal information of New Jersey driver's license holders to assist other states in imposing or collecting fines for alleged violations captured by automated camera ticketing systems. Senator O'Scanlon highlighted the flaws of camera enforcement systems, noting that studies have shown they provide no safety benefit for drivers.

Referring to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Senator O'Scanlon pointed out the ineffectiveness of automated enforcement in improving safety, stating, "If these systems improved safety you’d expect the red-shaded states to be consistently at the top of the list with lower fatality rates than states who do not use camera enforcement. That’s decidedly not the case."

Senator O'Scanlon reiterated the importance of protecting residents from what he described as a corrupt industry profiting off debunked claims of improved public safety. He emphasized that the Automated Enforcement Inoculation Act aims to defend New Jersey residents against predatory fines and regressive taxes.

It is noted that Senator O'Scanlon had previously sponsored an identical version of the bill during the last legislative session, which passed the Senate unanimously.

For further inquiries about the bill, individuals can contact Chris Sivel, SRO Deputy Director of Communications at the provided email address.