Pennsylvania residents may find themselves with more tickets for traffic violations in the future. PennDOT is seeking to have traffic enforcement cameras installed across the state, broadening the scope beyond the city of Philadelphia. In addition, PennDOT believes that these cameras should also be installed in construction zones.

Traffic enforcement cameras take pictures of cars that run red lights. Using the license plate information, drivers who are caught by these cameras are sent a traffic ticket in the mail within days. According to officials, last year more than 125,000 tickets have been administered to drivers caught by the traffic enforcement cameras.

While the cost for one ticket for running a red light may not seem like much, the overall amount collected last year comes out to be over $11 million dollars. This doesn't even begin to reflect some of the additional penalties that a driver may face, especially if the driver has already been ticketed several times for the same offense.

PennDOT is also looking to install these cameras in construction zones in order to discourage drivers from speeding. A neighboring state has already implemented this strategy and has seen improvements in construction zone safety. Given the apparent success of the program, PennDOT believes that using the same tactic can help prevent construction zone accidents across the state.

If traffic enforcement cameras are installed in other cities, there will likely be fewer police officers patrolling the roads. But drivers who run red lights or are speeding through construction zones can still expect to get ticketed.

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Cameras at construction zones, traffic lights touted for safety," Tom Fontaine, Aug. 30, 2011.