BOSTON, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — Advocates from agencies around the state will gather at the Statehouse in Boston on Tuesday to support a bill called “An Act relative to traffic regulation using road safety cameras.”
The measure gives municipalities the option to set up cameras specific for enforcing speeding, red light running, school zones, and “blocking the box.”
Cameras only capture license plate image, not the driver or passenger or contents of the vehicles, similar to automatic tolling and parking enforcement already in place across the commonwealth. Personal data is protected and prohibitions are set against selling data or using it for other purposes. Data is only accessible to law enforcement with a court order.
As of January 2026, speeding is one of the leading causes of preventable crashes across the state. In 2025, there were 351 fatal crashes in the Bay State.
Results from road safety cameras in other states:
● Speed cameras: Studies have shown that speed cameras can reduce speeding by 20% to 70%, crashes by 5% to 70%, and injuries by 5% to 70%.
● Red-light / safety cameras: Studies on red-light cameras and other safety cameras show significant reductions in red light running and dangerous behaviors at high-risk areas, like bus stops.
● Overall impact: A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that camera speed enforcement systems can reduce crashes by 30% to 40%, showing that safety cameras are a proven tool to keep people safer on our roads.
