rely on methods such as pacing or time-distance calculations<\/a> \u2014 tools many officials describe as outdated, labor-intensive and increasingly difficult to maintain as manufacturers of antiquated equipment exit the market.<\/p>\nMunicipal associations told the commission that speeding on neighborhood roads is among the most frequent complaints from residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen residents are complaining about someone going fast on their 25 mph roadway, we have almost no recourse,\u201d Bethlehem Police Capt. William Audelo said Friday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe amount of residents and citizens in Pennsylvania that don\u2019t know we can\u2019t enforce speeding as municipal officers is surprising, but it\u2019s going to take our legislators to make this happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, state crash data show that only about 1% of crashes occurring solely on local roads are classified as speeding-related \u2014 a discrepancy the report says highlights the tension between public perception and available data.<\/p>\n
\u201cStefko Boulevard and Route 412 and Third Street as it comes past the casino are two areas of concern (in Bethlehem),\u201d Audelo said. \u201cAnd we have a high number of crashes on Route 378 and Wyandotte Street as it turns back into the Southside.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnywhere where we have a straightaway and people can gain speed they are more likely to ignore the posted speed limit. And because of their speed and aggressive driving there are more accidents, and the higher the speed the more likely we are to see more injuries and a bad outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s something (speed enforcement) that has been lingering for years and years, because people don\u2019t want to see another way to get a citation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time we have a number of residents complaining about the speed on our roadways. If we really want to see a decrease in aggressive driving and speeding we have to do something that allows officers to enforce and be a deterrent to the actions that cause these crashes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The commission also noted that some of the most problematic speeding locations involve state routes passing through municipalities, raising questions about whether enforcement decisions should hinge solely on road ownership rather than safety conditions on the ground.<\/p>\n
“If we really want to see a decrease in aggressive driving and speeding we have to do something that allows officers to enforce and be a deterrent to the actions that cause these crashes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bethlehem Police Capt. William Audelo <\/p>\n
Safety benefits \u2014 and persistent concerns<\/p>\n
PennDOT data cited in the report show that speed absolutely remains a significant contributor to serious crashes statewide.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Pennsylvania recorded more than 23,000 speed-related crashes, resulting in 357 fatalities. For 263 of those fatalities, speed was found to be the primary cause.<\/p>\n
The report cited research that consistently shows how even small reductions in speed can dramatically reduce the risk of severe injury or death, particularly for pedestrians and other non-motorists.<\/p>\n
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk said he supports equipping city officers with new technology, including speed and red-light cameras.<\/p>\n
He highlighted a corridor \u2014 Tilghman Street\/Union Boulevard \u2014 where four people died in crashes in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo every person that died in a motor vehicle crash (last year) died on that street, that roadway. That\u2019s our high injury network. We need people to slow down there,\u201d Tuerk said.<\/p>\n
Cameras would be helpful, Tuerk said, but local police using speed radar is \u201cthe Holy Grail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving our police officers the appropriate tools that every other department in the country \u2014 outside of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania \u2014 has access to, that’s just critically important.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we had access to radar, we’d be able to make a demonstrable improvement on speeding in the city,\u201d Tuerk said. \u201cAnd if you can cut speed, you can reduce the severity of crashes and you can reduce the severity of pedestrian crashes.<\/p>\n
\u201cCutting speed down in Allentown will reduce death and injury in Allentown. Our Vision Zero commitment is as strong now as it’s ever been. I’m confident that with speed cameras, we can make real improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGiving our police officers the appropriate tools that every other department in the country \u2014 outside of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania \u2014 has access to, that’s just critically important.”<\/p>\n
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk<\/p>\n
Still, automated enforcement remains controversial. Critics argue that speed cameras rely on \u201cimplied liability,\u201d issuing citations to vehicle owners rather than drivers, and raise concerns about privacy, surveillance and fairness, the report said.<\/p>\n
The report also documents widespread distrust that camera programs can become focused on revenue rather than safety \u2014 a criticism that has fueled legal challenges and rollbacks in other states.<\/p>\n
Lessons from other states<\/p>\n
The commission examined speed camera programs in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia, identifying guardrails that lawmakers elsewhere have used to limit abuse. Those include capped fines, mandatory warning periods, strict limits on camera locations, public reporting requirements, and dedicating excess revenue to traffic safety improvements rather than general funds.<\/p>\n
Some states also require periodic reauthorization or approval by state transportation agencies to ensure cameras are deployed only where safety data can justify their use.<\/p>\n
Decision rests with lawmakers<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the report concludes that automated speed enforcement should not be treated as a universal solution. Instead, lawmakers are encouraged to evaluate roadway design, traffic patterns, enforcement capacity and public trust before expanding camera authority to municipalities.<\/p>\n
The question, the commission said, is not simply whether automated speed enforcement works, but whether it can be implemented in a way that improves safety while addressing “the very real liberty, privacy and revenue concerns of many members of the public.” <\/p>\n
The findings will now move to state legislators who will decide whether \u2013 and how \u2013 automated enforcement should play a larger role on Pennsylvania\u2019s local roads.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 Pennsylvania lawmakers are being urged to tread carefully as they consider whether to allow speed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84607,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[6295,42351,153,155,154,42345,42346,42347,42348,42349,42352,42353,42350],"class_list":["post-84606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-allentown-mayor-matt-tuerk","tag-automated-cameras-pennsylvania","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-bethlehem-police-captain-william-audelo","tag-can-pa-officers-use-radar","tag-can-pennsylvania-municipal-officers-use-radar","tag-dangerous-roadways-in-bethlehem","tag-dangerous-traffic-corridors-lehigh-valley","tag-speed-cameras-pennsylvania","tag-speeding-in-allentown","tag-work-zone-cameras-pennsylvania"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}