Dallas Police Considering New Speed ​​Cameras for Safety – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The Dallas Police Department says it supports changing Texas law that would allow speed cameras to issue speeding tickets to drivers.

The idea is one of ten ideas the department has prioritized for the 2025 legislative session in Austin.

Lt. Gov. Julio Gonzalez informed the city council’s Public Safety Committee about the proposal and spoke with NBC 5 on Tuesday.

“We know that speed is one of the leading factors in fatal crashes across the state,” Gonzalez said.

“We want to be able to install speed cameras to give us another set of eyes on our roadways and make them safer.”

So think NBC 5 is investigating I saw up close in Canada last fall, where safety officers in Edmonton use handheld radars and cameras to issue tickets to drivers by mail. It’s also starting to gain traction in the U.S., but the implementation is different than what’s been seen north of the border.

The Federal Highway Administration says fixed speed cameras can reduce crashes by 54%. The fixed camera does not require a security officer to be present to activate the radar, as is the case in Canada.

FHA is adding camera-equipped mobile units to a trailer or vehicle that can reduce injuries and fatal crashes by one-fifth on major city streets.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says the use of stationary cameras has already reduced speeds in New York City school zones by 63%.

Six cities in California recently received approval for a 5-year pilot program to use speed cameras on city streets.

However, in Texas, the use of speed cameras would require an amendment to the state transportation code to make them legal.

“We would need to get a permit to install these speed cameras,” Gonzalez said.

Members of the public safety committee expressed support for the idea during a limited discussion this week. District 13 Councilmember Gay Donnell Willis said speeding on Dallas streets is one of the most common complaints he receives from constituents.

“When it comes to automated speed cameras, I think we need to do that,” Willis said.

“We are all suffering, our entire community.”

DPD’s legislative priorities and the City of Dallas’ top priorities for the 2025 session are expected to be presented to the full council later this summer.