The Ohio House has passed a bill that would no longer allow cities to use automated cameras to ticket drivers who run red lights.

“There is a mad rush across the state … to put in these red-light cameras without proper debate,” state Rep. Jim Raussen told The Toledo Blade.

House lawmakers voted 73-24 in favor of a bill that would prohibit law-enforcement agencies from using photo-monitoring devices, such as red-light and speed-enforcement cameras, unless a police officer is present and witnesses the traffic violation. HB56 has been sent to the Senate for further consideration.

Raussen, R-Springdale, said studies have indicated that the cameras have not reduced accidents.

A study paid for by the U.S. Department of Transportation showed rear-end crashes actually increased in cities with red-light cameras, as motorists stopped abruptly at yellow lights to avoid tickets.

But Toledo officials have credited the cameras with a 26-percent reduction in accidents at intersections the cameras are placed.

The cameras snap pictures of the license plate of red-light runners or speeders. A ticket is mailed to the vehicle’s owner, regardless of who was driving at the time. No points are added to the offender’s license and his/her insurance company is not notified.

Raussen said he’s not sure whether cities were interested in the cameras to improve safety or to improve their bottom lines.

“Somebody has to speak up for the public here,” he told the newspaper. “Is it really for public safety?”

Dayton and Toledo are the only major Ohio cities with red-light cameras in place, but others including Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland are either considering them or moving to install them, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Cincinnati’s city council approved the idea in December 2004, which is expected to generate $2 million a year to help close the city’s growing budget deficit. Council members said Raussen’s effort to limit the cameras was stepping on the city’s right to govern itself.

Rep. Steve Buehrer, R-Delta, supports the bill for several reasons, including privacy issues and due process to contest the citations.

“People continue to run red lights,” he told The Blade. “We haven’t solved the problem.”