Poll: Is Traffic Camera Ban Pushed by Cedar Falls Lawmaker A Good or Bad Idea?

A bill to ban traffic cameras, which can catch speeders and cars running red lights, passed out of the Iowa House Transportation Committee earlier this month, which means it will move to a vote on the floor.

Cedar Falls Rep. Walt Rogers, a Republican, is a sponsor of the bill.

“Do we want a world where every time we make a mistake we get a fine?” Rogers said, according to a Des Moines Register article. “I don’t want to look back in 50 years and say, ‘what happened to our freedoms in Iowa?’"

The cameras catch lawbreaking drivers on film, and tickets are issued to the owners of the cars. Some advocates say their use is problematic because the car's owner is not always the one driving. Proponents of the cameras say they help slow down drivers and prevent accidents.

Traffic cameras aren't present in Cedar Falls or Waterloo, and Rogers told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier many of his constituents hope to keep it that way. He also told the Courier he doesn't think the ban will have the votes to pass, but he's still glad a conversation has started on the issue.

So, to further that conversation, what do you think? Should Iowa ban traffic cameras?