COLUMBUS, Ohio — Proponents of red-light cameras on Wednesday urged state lawmakers to put the brakes on a proposed ban and instead set up statewide standards to govern the use of the new technology.

State Sen. Kevin Bacon, a Columbus Republican, said at a statehouse news conference that he will soon introduce legislation designed to ensure that local government use the cameras for safety reasons instead of just as a revenue generator.

The bill is intended as an alternative to House Bill 69, which would ban use of the cameras except in 20-mile-per-hour school zones. That legislation passed the Ohio House of Representatives in June; it's currently before a Senate committee.

Bacon said his bill would require local law enforcement to review each red-light camera ticket issued, instead of letting a private camera operator issue a fine. Municipalities would also have to set up a system for people to challenge tickets they receive and conduct a publicly accessible traffic safety analysis before setting up cameras at an intersection in order to justify their use there, the senator said.

Bacon, along with a number of law enforcement officials and traffic safety advocates, said red-light cameras, when used properly, have been shown to dramatically reduce crashes.

As of last year, Columbus has seen a 74-percent reduction in right-angle crashes at the 38 intersections in the city with cameras, city law enforcement officials said. Bacon said he is basing his legislation on Columbus' existing red-light camera regulations.

Springfield Police Department Sgt. Brett Bauer said he feared that if red-light cameras were banned, the number of crashes in the state would rise.

The effort to ban traffic cameras in Ohio stems in part from a lawsuit filed against Elmwood Place, a village of 2,000 people surrounded by Cincinnati, which during a two-week span last year collected $1.5 million in fines from 20,000 speeders along a single block.

In Cleveland, 34 traffic cameras have been set up during the past six years, generating more than $47 million in fines and fees, including $6 million in 2012.

Bacon said the proposed ban is “well-intended,” and he’s heard stories of abuse, but cameras shouldn’t be eliminated altogether because people don’t like getting tickets.

Columbus Police Department Lt. Brenton Mull dismissed criticism that the cameras infringe on drivers' privacy, saying they're set up in public areas and the ticketing process is less intrusive than when a police officer pulls over a motorist.

Bacon said he’ll see how his fellow lawmakers respond to his new bill. But he said legislators he’s spoken with have shown “genuine openness” to his proposals.