Feature on Red Light Cameras

Red Light Cameras
and Traffic Surveillance

The rise in accidents

The American Civil Liberties Union does not oppose the use of such cameras for enforcing specific traffic violations, provided that the cameras capture only those images that are necessary to enforce the traffic laws. However, we are concerned about what we call ‘mission creep’ — that the data collected by these cameras will be used for purposes other than tracking reckless drivers.

Government and privacy industry surveillance techniques created for one purpose are rarely restricted to that purpose, and every expansion of a data bank and every new use for the data opens the door to more and more privacy abuses.

Press Releases

ACLU Responds to Plan to Use Surveillance Cameras to Track Drivers Who Run Red Lights (07/13/2000)

ACLU Urges Halt to Use of Red-Light Cameras Until Privacy and Fairness Issues Are Addressed (8/23/2001)