- Utah may test red light cameras at 10 intersections in 2027.
- The program would end in 2028 under a built-in sunset clause.
- Critics raise privacy concerns about surveillance and tracking.
Traffic cameras are big news lately as they rake in millions for municipalities. Now, Utah might institute its own red light program but with a twist. If lawmakers stick to their word, these cameras won’t issue tickets at all. They’ll simply collect data to help the government figure out how to improve safety at high-risk intersections.
Rep. Jake Fitisemanu (D–West Valley) has reintroduced HB275, a bill that would create the pilot program for these cameras. If approved, the program would begin no later than January 1, 2027, and wrap up by April 30, 2028, with a built-in sunset clause that automatically repeals it in 2029. That’s already quite different than most traffic cam projects.
No Fines, Just Findings
What really stands out, though, is that Utah’s proposal explicitly prohibits issuing citations, fines, or license points. Again, the effort is entirely framed as a data collection and public education initiative. It aims to help the state and public understand how often drivers run red lights and how often those actions have consequences.
More: A Few Dozen Cameras Caught 10,000 Drivers Running A Red Light
According to Deseret, the state recorded roughly 2,375 red-light-running crashes per year between 2020 and 2024. In that period, 64 people were killed, and more than 500 were seriously injured. About 95 percent of those crashes were “angle collisions”, commonly known as T-bone impacts, which are often among the most severe.
Two-Part Trial Plan
If the bill becomes a law, the pilot program would roll out in two phases. The first would involve at least 60 days of passive data collection to establish a baseline of red light violations and crash rates at each selected intersection. The second phase, lasting at least 120 days, would focus on public education.
During that phase, drivers caught running a red light would receive a mailed warning, not a ticket, along with a photo of their license plate. No civil or criminal penalties could be issued, and the data collected could not be used in court proceedings or investigations, except under a warrant for unrelated cases.
In other words, it would essentially tell the offender, “Hey, the government saw that, and it wasn’t good.” Even so, the bill still needs to make it through committee before lawmakers can vote on whether the pilot program moves any closer to becoming reality.
