127th General Assembly
(As Passed by the House)
Reps. R. McGregor, Adams, Schindel, Seitz, Fessler, Collier, Webster, Aslanides, Bubp, Domenick, Batchelder, Blessing, Carmichael, Coley, Core, Evans, Flowers, Gibbs, J. Hagan, Harwood, Hottinger, Huffman, Hughes, Mandel, Patton, Uecker, Wagoner, Widener
BILL SUMMARY
· Prohibits any local authority from using traffic law photo-monitoring devices to enforce any traffic law until after it has erected signs on every highway that is not a freeway that is part of the state highway system, and that enters that local authority, informing inbound traffic that the local authority utilizes traffic law photo-monitoring devices to enforce traffic laws.
· Requires the timing of the yellow lights or yellow arrows of traffic lights that are located at intersections where traffic law photo-monitoring devices are being used to enforce traffic laws to be conformed to the applicable provisions of the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
· Provides for a delayed effective date of six months after the bill's effective date.
CONTENT AND OPERATION
The bill prohibits any local authority from using traffic law photo-monitoring devices to enforce any traffic law until after it has erected signs on every highway that is not a freeway that is part of the state highway system and that enters that local authority. The signs must inform inbound traffic that the local authority utilizes traffic law photo-monitoring devices to enforce traffic laws. The signs must be erected within the first 300 feet of the boundary of the local authority or, if the signs cannot be located within that first 300 feet, as close to that distance as possible. The local authority is responsible for all costs associated with the erection, maintenance, and replacement, if necessary, of the signs. All signs erected under the bill must conform in size, color, location, and content to standards contained in the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and must remain in place for as long as the local authority utilizes traffic law photo-monitoring devices to enforce any traffic law. Any ticket, citation, or summons issued by or on behalf of the local authority for any traffic law violation based upon evidence gathered by a traffic law photo-monitoring device before the signs have been erected is invalid. (R.C. 4511.093(B).)
The bill requires any local authority that uses traffic law photo-monitoring devices to enforce any traffic law at an intersection where traffic is controlled by traffic lights that exhibit different colored lights or colored lighted arrows to conform the timing of the yellow lights and yellow arrows of the lights to the provisions of the Ohio Manual that are applicable to that type of intersection (R.C. 4511.093(C)).
As used in the bill:
(1) "Local authority" means a municipal corporation, county, or township.
(2) "Traffic law photo-monitoring device" means an electronic system consisting of a photographic, video, or electronic camera and a means of sensing the presence of a motor vehicle that automatically produces photographs, videotape, or digital images of the vehicle or its license plate. (R.C. 4511.093(A)(1) and (2).)
The bill provides that the above provisions take effect six months after the bill's effective date (Section 2).
HISTORY
|
ACTION |
DATE |
|
|
|
|
Introduced |
02-20-07 |
|
Reported, H. Infrastructure, Homeland Security & Veterans Affairs |
|
|
Passed House (94-3) |
06-27-07 |
h0030-ph-127.doc/kl