HB537 Summary: Center Point Automated Traffic Safety Act

• Authorizes the City of Center Point, Alabama to use automated photographic cameras to enforce traffic signal violations, stop sign violations, and speeding violations as civil (not criminal) infractions.

• Establishes a presumption that vehicle owners are liable for violations recorded by cameras; fines capped at $110 for red light and stop sign violations, with tiered speeding fines ranging from $60 to $160 depending on speed over the limit (doubled in school zones).

• Requires the city to mail violation notices within 30 days and permits recipients to contest liability through an administrative hearing within 15 days, with appeals available to Jefferson County Circuit Court for trial de novo.

• Defines specific camera system requirements, mandates warning signs at enforcement locations, requires the city to maintain statistical effectiveness data, and prohibits the trained technician's compensation from being tied to violations issued or fines collected.

• Creates a private cause of action allowing vehicle owners held liable to sue the actual driver for reimbursement of fines paid, and clarifies that civil violations do not appear on criminal or driving records and cannot be used by insurance companies to adjust rates.