Alabama § 45-51A-35.23 - Utilization of Photographic Traffic Signal Enforcement System.

§ 45-51A-35.23. Utilization of Photographic Traffic Signal Enforcement System.

(a) The City of Montgomery is empowered to utilize an automated photographic traffic signal enforcement system to detect and record traffic signal violations, to issue notices of civil violations by mail, and to prosecute civil violations for the recorded traffic signal violations which may occur within the corporate limits of the City of Montgomery as provided in this subpart. A civil fine assessed under this subpart shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100), and municipal court costs may be assessed in the same manner and in the same amounts prescribed for a municipal criminal traffic-control device violation prosecuted as a misdemeanor under Sections 32-5A-31, 32-5A-32, 32-5A-35, or any combination thereof. An additional fee of ten dollars ($10) shall be added to the Montgomery Municipal Court costs authorized to be collected in connection with notices issued under this subpart. Court costs collected pursuant to this subpart shall be distributed in the same manner as prescribed by law for the distribution of municipal court costs for misdemeanor violations. The additional ten dollars ($10) authorized by this subpart shall be paid to the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center as compensation for record keeping with respect to violation notices issued under this subpart. Ordinance No. 10-2007 adopted by the City of Montgomery is hereby ratified and validated ab initio.

(b) The City of Montgomery shall cause a sign to be posted at each of a minimum of 10 roadway entry points to the city to provide motorists with notice that photographic traffic signal enforcement systems are in use. The sign will comply with this requirement if it states substantially the following: “AUTOMATED CAMERAS USED IN RED LIGHT ENFORCEMENT,” or if it otherwise gives sufficient notice.

(c) Prior to operating a photographic traffic signal enforcement system, the City of Montgomery made a public announcement and conducted a public awareness campaign of the use of a photographic traffic signal enforcement system a minimum of 30 days before using the devices. The City of Montgomery may place photographic traffic signal enforcement systems at locations without public notice of the specific location, may change locations without public notice, and may install and move as needed decoy devices designed to resemble photographic traffic signal enforcement systems.

(d) The city shall post signs warning of the use of an automated red light photographic device within 60 yards of every intersection at which such a device shall be used. Each sign shall be placed at least 10 feet from the edge of the road or street and shall have reflective light material. The reflective signs shall be placed not lower than six feet and not higher than eight feet.