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U.S. NEWS Thursday 3 February 2022
Slow down: States get infrastructure cash for speed cameras

By HOPE YEN Federal Highway Adminis-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Driv- tration says speed cameras
ers, beware: Speed camer- can reduce the number
as could be on their way to of injury crashes by nearly
a location near you thanks 50%.
to President Joe Biden's in- "Automated speed en-
frastructure law. forcement, if deployed eq-
Under new federal guid- uitably and applied appro-
ance issued Wednesday, priately to roads with the
states can now tap billions greatest risk of harm due
of federal highway dollars to speeding, can provide
for roadway safety pro- significant safety benefits
grams such as automated and save lives," according
traffic enforcement. They to the Transportation De-
are being told that camer- partment's safety strategy
as that photograph speed- released last week.
ing vehicles are an estab- The department said that
lished way to help bring under the previous five-
down rising traffic deaths. year transportation bill,
It's all part of the Transpor- states were mostly con-
tation Department's new Speed cameras are aimed at U.S. Route 127, in New Miami, Ohio, Feb. 25, 2014 . fined to spending highway
national strategy to stem Associated Press safety money for hard in-
record increases in road fa- frastructure projects, such
talities with a broad-based and accessible for all us- widespread use of speed safety groups including the as building sidewalks; use
"safe system" approach ers," agency Deputy Ad- cameras, even after the Governors Highway Safety of federal money for speed
that promotes better road ministrator Stephanie Pol- National Transportation Association have increas- cameras was prohibited
design, lower speed limits lack said. "States now have Safety Board in 2017 urged ingly pointed to automat- except in school zones.
and more car safety regu- more flexibility and funding greater use of them to de- ed traffic enforcement as Now, under Biden's new
lations. The guidance by to make highway safety im- ter crashes. Motorists often more reliable and equita- law, states have the op-
the Federal Highway Ad- provements." complain speed cameras ble than police traffic stops, tion to use up to 10% of the
ministration cites speed Sometimes dubbed "speed can be inaccurate, but are which can pose risks of $15.6 billion in total high-
cameras in particular as a traps," automated traffic almost impossible to dis- confrontation between a way safety money avail-
proven enforcement tool enforcement can rake in pute in court. Eight states motorist and police officer. able over five years for
against hazardous driving. millions of dollars in ticket specifically forbid the use They released a checklist specified non-infrastructure
The Federal Highway Ad- revenue for local com- of speed cameras, while last summer aimed at pro- programs, such as pub-
ministration's goal "is to munities but has spurred another two dozen or so viding a roadmap to build lic awareness campaigns,
help state and local trans- backlash and isn't widely have no specific legislation community support. automated enforcement
portation agencies across embraced. The Insurance to support their use. More than 1 in 4 traffic fa- of traffic safety laws and
the country deliver proj- Institute for Highway Safe- Still, as traffic deaths have talities occur in speed-re- measures to protect chil-
ects that make streets, ty estimates only about spiked up during the coro- lated crashes, according dren walking and bicycling
highways and bridges safe 159 communities make navirus pandemic, auto to government data. The to school. q

Army to immediately start discharging vaccine refusers

charge policy for vaccine to maintaining the health to surge around the coun-
refusers. The Marine Corps, and readiness of the force. try as a result of the omi-
Air Force and Navy have COVID-19 cases continue cron variant.q
already discharged active-
duty troops or entry-level
personnel at boot camps
for refusing the shots. So
far, the Army has not dis-
charged any.
According to data re-
leased by the Army last
week, more than 3,300 sol-
diers have refused to get
the vaccine. The Army has
said that more than 3,000
soldiers have been issued
Christine Wormuth speaks during a Senate Armed Services
Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, official written reprimands,
on May 13, 2021. which suggests they are al-
Associated Press ready identified in the disci-
plinary process, and some
By LOLITA C. BALDOR tory COVID-19 vaccine, of them could be among
Associated Press putting more than 3,300 the first to be discharged.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The service members at risk of The Pentagon has ordered
Army said Wednesday it being thrown out soon. all service members — ac-
will immediately begin dis- The Army's announcement tive-duty, National Guard
charging soldiers who have makes it the final military and Reserves — to get the
refused to get the manda- service to lay out its dis- vaccine, saying it is critical