SAN ANTONIO – A state lawmaker has filed a bill to put the brakes on a controversial camera system used to catch drivers who speed in Bexar County.
The bill, introduced Thursday by state Rep. Briscoe Cain, (R) Texas HD 128, of Baytown, is in response to using the LIDAR camera in Bexar County and other similar technology.
KSAT has previously reported that Bexar County Precinct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodich began using the system in January.
He said the camera can scan up to five lanes of traffic at a time and take pictures of the drivers and license plates of speeding cars.
Tickets are then sent out in the mail, often without any interaction between the drivers and law enforcement officers.
“The things that we’ve done in the past have been ineffective toward stopping fatality accidents or lowering them,” Vojvodich said Friday, reiterating the reason for using the system. “The crashes and injuries are increasing.”
Initially, violators received warnings. However, with Phase 2, which started at the beginning of February, speeding drivers receive real tickets.
Vojvodich said the system has detected more than 47,000 drivers in total, with about 4,000 of them being flagged as exceeding the speed limit.
“Yet out of 4,000 cars, we’ve only issued 367 tickets,” he said.
Without the camera system, Vojvodich said his deputies typically ticket about 1,200 to 1,300 drivers for speeding.
He said he expects about 600 tickets could be issued by the end of the month.
Since KSAT aired the news story about the camera system, there has been an overwhelming response, particularly on Instagram.
Several posts mentioned that the camera is illegal due to a law that outlawed red light cameras in 2019.
Vojvodich said the particular system he uses, which includes a portable camera, is not subject to the current law because it is not affixed to a red light.
Cain, meanwhile, said he disagrees, explaining that the current law bans speed cameras.
However, he said he introduced the new HB 2810 legislation to close any possible loopholes.
“I think, pretty soon, an attorney general opinion will be coming out letting them know they can’t do it,” Cain said.
Additionally, Cain said the LIDAR camera, which flashes whenever a vehicle exceeds the speed limit, can be a dangerous distraction.
“The studies show that people are more likely to slam on their brakes or they drive more dangerously,” he said. “There are increased fatalities around these cameras.”
“There is one thing that’s really increased for cities and governments that use them, it’s increased revenue. They’re putting money over lives,” Cain added.
Vojvodich takes exception to the idea that issuing speeding tickets is an attempt to increase revenue.
He said, to him, it is about making the roads safer.
“I would ask (Cain) what evidence does he have to say that it’s a money grab. It’s absolutely not here in Bexar County,” Vojvodich said. “The people who complain the loudest are the ones who are getting tickets. I guarantee it.”
If Cain’s bill is successful, Vojvodich said he will abide by the law and stop using the camera.
In the meantime, though, he said he plans to seek support for their use among other members of the state legislature.
