Smile for the Speed Camera

I think we can almost all admit to it. We rarely, if ever drive at the speed limit. Most people follow the simple rule that if you are ten miles over the posted speed limit you are safe and anywhere over that you are pushing your luck. Well when counties and cities all over the United States started enforcing that belief through the use of speed cameras, the effect was relatively widespread and enlightening. Here in Montgomery County in Maryland, speed cameras have been in use since about May 2007. Basically how it works is if the camera 'spots' you going ten miles over the recommended speed limit, your car's photo will be snapped and you'll be sent along a copy of the photo along with a ticket for $40.

Studies of Montgomery County show that between May to December of 2007, close to 110,000 tickets were issued. That means that the county stood to earn $4.4 million for doing nothing other than processing photos. Not bad huh? But not everyone is pleased about the enforcement of the speed rules this way and they are lashing out. Over the past few months, speed cameras and traffic light cameras have had the roads in front of their lenses vandalized with graffiti sending out a message that many people agree with; that the whole concept of the speed cameras is a scam by the county government as a means of collecting revenue for next to nothing. While many will agree that the cameras do help slow people down, there is still that hazy area that leaves these cases up to debate.

What do I mean 'up to debate'? Well think of it this way. Supposing you are coasting down a hill without accelerating, naturally your car will pick up a little speed. If you happen to be coming down faster than you should be, and if your speed goes a little above the speed limit, you are liable to have your photo taken. Now many argue that this is where the difference between a machine and an actual officer comes into play. An officer can keep an eye on you and will have a reasonable idea as to whether your are speeding or gaining speed due to road conditions. The cameras on the other hand snap that instant in time. And even if you are only eleven miles over the speed limit for not more than a few moments, you will be stuck with a $40 ticket.

Now I'm of two minds on this issue because I do agree that these cameras aren't the most accurate or reliable means of determining who speeds and who doesn't but I also agree that they are a great deterrent. But I also see the side that people argue is the real reason that so many counties and cities are installing these cameras and that is for the revenue. In the first 8 months alone in Montgomery County you had the issuance of tickets that brought in approximately $4.4 million. With the addition of more cameras you could bring in close to $10 million. Now I'm not implying that that's the real reason behind the cameras but if you try to look at it from this point of view then perhaps you'll understand. As far as I know, these tickets are fines, but they don't add points to your license (unless you are really really bad) so most people look at $40 and shrug it off. Now if 110,000 people do that then you can see how the county can get $4.4 million for doing seemingly nothing more than printing photos.

This whole debate has raged on for a while in D.C. which was one of the first cities I had heard aobut that implemented these cameras so quickly and they have had similar results. That's not to say it's a bad thing since D.C. can't tax workers who work within the city but live in the surrounding states. As a result, D.C. has always looked for ways to get revenue where they can legally. Speed cameras solve two problems with one stone. They get you revenue which can be used to sustain the city but they also get you to prove to the public that you are taken actions meant to make the city safer through passive traffic enforcement. Not everyone sees it that way which is why vandals continue to strike. I don't think the cameras are going to go away any time soon so I don't think it will be much longer before we start seeing speed camera graffiti cameras. Stranger things have happened.