Maryland officials wasted no time in kicking off the required warning period for the statewide interstate highway speed camera program authorized by a law that took effect yesterday. Transportation Secretary Beverley K. Swaim-Staley announced that the first three locations for the cameras would target motorists in so-called work zones on some of the most heavily traveled interstates in the country. Starting November 1, privately owned speed camera vans will issue actual tickets to commuters and travelers headed between New York and Florida. For example, on an average day 184,152 drivers will pass the new speed camera location on I-95 between MD 198 and MD 216 in Prince George’s County. The Baltimore County I-95 location, between I-895 and White Marsh Boulevard, will target 162,812 drivers daily. On Interstate 695 at Charles Street in Baltimore, the cameras will record the passing of 159,021 cars.
Throughout these locations, orange cones will be set up to justify lowering the speed limit to 45 MPH. That means the owner of any vehicle accused of traveling 57 MPH — regardless of whether any actual construction work is taking place — will be mailed a ticket. Lawmakers claimed the program, which is expected to generate $65 million in new revenue, will enhance safety.
“This is a law whose time has certainly come, and I applaud my fellow legislators for taking on the challenge to pass it and other laws in the last General Assembly aimed at making it safer to drive in our state,” state Senator James Robey (D-Howard County) said in a statement. “The challenges remain, but this is a giant step.”
Robey and others trumpeted the results of a Montgomery County study released this week that claimed speed cameras were solely responsible for a 28 percent reduction in collisions within a half-mile of the ticketing devices. Fatalities, according to the report, increased from two deaths prior to camera installation to three deaths in the year following installation. These figures compare unfavorably to the number of fatal accidents in nearby Fairfax County, Virginia where, in 2008, traffic fatalities dropped 46 percent. Both counties have a population of about one million, but Fairfax County has no automated ticketing machines.
US Department of Transportation data suggest that reduced traffic volumes during the economic downturn may play a large role in the reduced number of road deaths throughout the entire country.
“Overall traffic fatalities reported in 2008 hit their lowest level since 1961 and fatalities in the first three months of 2009 continue to decrease,” a July 2009 press release from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration stated. “The fatality rate, which accounts for variables like fewer miles traveled, also reached the lowest level ever recorded… Substantial declines occurred in virtually every major category.”
Nationwide, the fatality rate in the first quarter of 2009 dropped 17 percent from the first quarter of 2006. Four speed camera companies spent $555,106 in campaign donations and lobbying to convince lawmakers to authorize the photo enforcement program.
[courtesy thenewspaper.com]
I can’t speak for the other locations, but the PG County spot is not a “so-called work zone”. It is an actual work zone. They are building an overpass. I have a brother who does highway engineering. Not long ago he had the unfortunate task of telling a colleague’s wife that her husband had been killed by a speeding truck. Maybe these cameras will prevent that sort of thing.
I remember back when the 55 mile per hour speed limit was enacted that Maryland started using a pickup truck with bales of hay on it, an ambulance, and a semi truck as radar taking vehicles. Usually a half mile up the road or so there was a a bunch of cops who just pointed at you and you had to pull over and get your ticket. They also used rolling road blocks on these same freeways.
How times change. Now they just use a private contractor to mail you a ticket and get $65 million in new revenue.
I personally the first method was more effective. This new method is nothing more then revenue enhancement and has nothing to do with safety. I hope the residents of the state start a petition drive to change this law.
So *the first* cameras are going to be deployed at work zones… but then what? Do these things pop up everywhere?
Pretty soon, people are just going to completely circumvent the DC area when traveling down the East Coast.
First, can anybody confirm if these devices utilize standard radar detector bandwidth? I am thinking the FCC regs would compell this. Honestly, a continuously broadcasting stationary machine with out any of the variables that an instant on moving radar source operated by a fellow sentinet being presents would be absolutely easy to avoid getting nailed. I am thinking the FCC regs would compell this.
Second, Seems to me that lots of construction zone speed limits are unreasonably low. Imagining myself on a road mtce crew, it would matter not to me if cars were going by slowly or fast. A dead on hit to my body by a vehicle going 20 mph would be just as fatal as one going 50. Would I be more relaxed and less aware knowing that vehicles were traveling 20 rather than 50? Absolutely not!
“Lawmakers claimed the program, which is expected to generate $65 million in new revenue, will enhance safety.”
Interesting how “revenue” is related to “safety”.
Twotone
Pretty soon, people are just going to completely circumvent the DC area when traveling down the East Coast.
That sounds great to me. Anything to reduce the abysmal traffic in DC. Problem is, since the NIMBYs and others have prevented any alternate highways, where are they going to go? On I-81, which is overrun with semis, 301, which is even an even more crowded semi-rural highway with lights? No real alternative.
That being said, it’s a sham to leave the cameras in place when no actual work is being performed – overnight is one thing, but months on end (plenty of states abuse this method of extra revenue generation) is another.
As a resident of Montgomery County (not something I am proud of by any means), the “research” cited is at best a bastardization of statistics, a flat out lie more like it. The bigger offense, in my opinion, is the shortening of yellow lights for red light cameras, which dramatically decreases safety and increases likelihood of accidents, injury and death.
Like so many government programs, the concept sounds good, but the execution probably will suck. I have no problem with reduced speed limits in work zones. It does not have to do with how dead some worker will be if he steps into the path of an oncoming car — of course he will be just as dead if the car is going 45 as if it were going 60 — the point is that many work zones have tricky changes in lane alignments, narrow lanes and no shoulders; and for everyone who lacks the driving skills of Jackie Stewart or who is driving a semi, less speed makes the situation less of a challenge.
I confess it drives me nuts to go thru a works zone where everyone maybe knocks 5 mph off their normal speed. I’m not one to be a lane bandit by insisting on observing the speed limit, when everyone else is whizzing past 15 mph faster — but I’m certainly not happy about the situation. That said, there are plenty of instances that I observed on a recent roundtrip to Madison, Wisconsin where “work zone” signs were left in place, long after the work was finished and the equipment and workers departed.
As for the Whitemarsh area of I-95, north of Balto., I’ve driven it many times and people really bomb along there — 75 is not an unusual speed — despite the fairly heavy traffic that seems to be present no matter what day or time I drive it. So, doing something to slow people down a bit is not a bad thing. There’s also been construction there for more than a year.
Of course, constant on radar is easily detected by the most basic radar detectors . . . but if it makes people slow down, it will have served its nominal purpose (assuming that the actual purpose is to raise money for a state that is strapped for cash). You gotta watch those things, though; they’re illegal in DC and Virginia, and supposedly, even in states where they are illegal, they are a big disincentive for smokey to cut you any slack if he pulls you over for anything.
Me, I’ve never used ’em. But I will pay to upload the database of known radar locations into my GPS!
Unfortunately, I think it’ll take people being ticketed en masse to get them riled up enough to do something about this.
I lived in MD when the 55 MPH crackdown was in effect in the mid 70s. The program was advertised as “Any car you pass could be a radar car.” Of course, the program ended when one of the tough, no nonsense local judges got nailed at 56 MPH. So much for that.
Okay, it’s not right — I agree! But the most obvious way to make this an epic fail is simple — if no one exceeds the posted speed limit, or in this case, exceeds 12 MPH OVER the posted speed limit, then no tickets will be issued. If no tickets are issued, no revenue is generated. If no revenue is generated, the private companies will loose interest – and quickly!
I know it’s a nuisance to have to obey the law, but it is the one way to make this program cease to exist. Ideally, we’d have a network of drivers so we’d know exactly where these devices were each day, but just knowing that they’re in work zones is enough of a heads up to slow down to 55 for me!
Is there a web site or other online source for the location of this crap? Or do I have to join the AAA and get trip-tiks with speed traps stamps on them (dating myself)?
I’m pretty sure that automated/picture tickets in IL require you to be identifiable. I know one guy who got one (and was identifiable) and the judge dropped it anyway because he hates the cameras. All he did was showup and point out how close the person behind him was following making it “dangerous” for him to slow down.
In any case, if this comes to Illnois & is enforced, I’ll drive with my motorcycle helmet on. Safety first, no ?
TJ:
“I remember back when the 55 mile per hour speed limit was enacted that Maryland started using a pickup truck with bales of hay on it, an ambulance, and a semi truck as radar taking vehicles. Usually a half mile up the road or so there was a a bunch of cops who just pointed at you and you had to pull over and get your ticket.”
Ah, memories of my first speeding ticket. Driving home from college about 1979, going 65 in a 55 zone. I crested a hill, and just over the hill was an unmarked Plymouth Satellite on the shoulder with a radar bolted to the outside quarter window, pointing backwards at me. At the bottom of the hill were a couple of marked cars on the shoulder with troopers standing outside. One of them walks into my lane (I was in the left most lane on his side) and points to me and motions me to pull over. After that I always drove no more than 5 MPH above the limit in Maryland, and I bought my first radar detector.
Its only a matter of time before you create “criminals” out of good people.
Eventually people will start covering their license plates….
This sounds alot like Virginia’s brilliant instant multi-thousand dollar fine for “Wreckless driving” which is whatever the cop who pulled you over says it is.
It should go without saying that if nearly everyone is going 12 over, then the speed limit is artificially low and needs to be fixed.
To wit, there is a 26-mile stretch of I-85 southwest of Atlanta that is a construction zone (to add a desperately needed 3rd lane each way). The ENTIRE stretch (normally marked 70) is posted at 50…PUH-leeze! Nobody, and I mean nobody, was doing less than 60 thru there (my Passport allowed me to do my usual 75!). There are a couple lane jogs and a bridge bottleneck along the route, and I can understand posting a lower limit there, but the way it is now just makes scofflaws out of everyone.
We already have “gotcha” capitalism; the very last thing we need is “gotcha” government.
How is this even legal?
Interstate highways were built with Federal dollars, are regulated by the Department of Transportation, and are considered essential to interstate commerce – whose regulation falls under Federal law.
As such, isn’t the only governmental agency that could institute this… the Federal government, and not the state of Maryland?
Would you all stop, please. This is all about safety, children, and construction workers. Why do you think it is about raising money? Safety first!!
Next up, cars that have built in monitoring equipment that sends speeding information directly to the state. Of course, there will be a surcharge for the convenience.
Like all other such programs this is about revenue enhancement, plain and simple. Don’t buy into the “But it’s for the children!” hype like golden2husky. Look no further than at stop light cameras. When it’s hyped what a great success those have been, do they cite stats on how many fewer lights are being run? On how many fewer accidents are caused? No! They always tell you they know it’s a success because “The program has generated $foo in fines.” THAT’S the bottom line behind this, don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
golden2husky may dream of a day when cars will automatically report a person for speeding, but those of us who believe in a free society will always fight against Big Brother. There are certain shortcomings to living in a truly free society, but that’s always far better than being a servant to a nanny state.
The radar based speed cameras typically use much lower power than the radar guns LEOs use.
So more often than not, you are getting maybe 200 ft of warning with the good radar detectors on the market. Chances are you will see the darned thing before the RD tells you anything. With the walmart specials you are unlikely to get any warning at all.
So as a fellow RD user – do not get overconfident!
the thing that i don’t like about the speed cameras is that even when no construction is going on in these construction zones, for example at night time, the cameras can still give you a ticket for speeding. i think that they should only be running while construction is in progress.