![]() ![]() In previous years, traffic cameras issued only 3-4 times more than officers. In 2022, Seattle’s traffic cameras issued nearly 200,000 tickets, almost 50 times more than police officers gave out during in-person traffic stops. SDOT’s presentation focused only on the first two types the third set of cameras were first installed this year. There are three types of automated enforcement in Seattle: (1) red light cameras, (2) school zone speed cameras, and (3) cameras monitoring blocked intersections (“block the box” violations) and transit-only lanes. As of 2020, there were 57 cameras around the city. Seattle has been using automated cameras since 2006. Here’s an overview of what we’ve learned: Our goals are to push the City of Seattle towards progressive policies around automated ticketing that:ĭo not disproportionately harm communities of color or those who cannot pay, andĮnsure that ticket revenue is invested back into making local streets safer. ![]() It also can’t solve the problem of poorly-designed streets that encourage speeding. For one, it too can create inequitable financial burdens. While Black residents are 7% of Seattle’s population, Black drivers have received 21% of traffic tickets from officers.Īutomated traffic enforcement is better than in-person ticketing in many ways, but it is not a perfect solution. We know that in-person traffic stops can lead to stressful encounters, biased enforcement, investigative searches, and tragic deaths, particularly for people of color. This spurred conversations in our group about yet another form of over-policing taking place in Seattle’s BIPOC communities.Īcross the country, automated ticketing has been proposed as an alternative to traffic stops by police officers. Earlier this year, members of Whose Streets? Our Streets! (WSOS) heard a presentation from Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) staff about the City’s automated traffic safety cameras and the tickets they issue. ![]()
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