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Maryland traffic cameras -- examining the controversial use of red light and speed cameras to improved driver safety

July 25, 2008
By: Will Roberts

More and more cities around the country are using traffic surveillance cameras as a way to crack down on speeders and improve the safety of our roadways. One area of the country where the use of red light cameras and speed cameras is especially prevalent is the state of Maryland. In 2006, the Maryland General Assembly voted to implement speed cameras despite the objection of the Governor. We will review some of the controversy surrounding the decision to implement Maryland traffic cameras, and take a closer look at the program's effectiveness.

This trend has many Maryland citizens up in arms. Law enforcement and governmental officials are claiming these measures are essential to improve the safety of our roads. Citizens however, see it differently. The following are some of their chief concerns.

• Invasion of privacy -- Many Maryland drivers view the proliferation of traffic cameras as a direct violation of their personal privacy rights. They feel authorities now have the ability to track their every move. "It's another disturbing step toward Big Brother," said Senator E.J. Pipkin (R-Dist. 36).
  
  
• Lose right to face accuser -- When a traffic camera snaps a picture of your license plate, a ticket is automatically generated and sent to the registered driver of the vehicle. When the actual image is taken and the event logged, the driver may have no knowledge of the event. This makes it very difficult to recall specific details about the location or the incident itself. This leaves the entire burden of proof on the driver who has very little recourse to defend themselves. Maryland Delegate Don Dwyer, an opponent of the traffic camera policy in Maryland states, "It's a violation of Article 21 in the Maryland Declaration of Rights, which grants the citizens of this state the right to face their accuser."
  
  
• System prone to error -- Another problem the citizens of Maryland have is that the system itself is inherently flawed. One of the biggest problems is the fact that there is no way to determine who is actually operating the vehicle at the time the photo is taken. Problems arise when a different driver from the registered owner is operating the vehicle.
  
  Another flaw in the system is the fact that there can be a delay between when the violation occurs and when the ticket is received. This further hinders an individual's ability to recollect the actual event itself. In some cases, tickets are never received, leaving the driver with a violation they have no knowledge of. Most drivers simply pay the ticket out of frustration of their sheer inability to do anything about it.

Despite all of the frustration drivers experience there is evidence to indicate that red light traffic cameras and radar speed cameras do in fact reduce the number of traffic injuries and fatalities. It has been reported that the Maryland and D.C metropolitan areas have seen a steady decline in speeding motorists since the traffic cameras were installed. There has also been a 73.2 percent reduction in red light violations since red light cameras were installed in 1999.

That still has not helped convince the skeptics that insist the installation of these traffic cameras is merely a revenue generator for the city. In the Maryland and D.C. area alone, officials collected more than $5 million in fines from traffic cameras during just the first three months of 2006. If the trend continued, they would be on target to collect more than $30 million for the year. There is no doubt, traffic cameras are a big revenue generator.

As long as traffic surveillance cameras are allowed to remain in service, the controversy surrounding their use is likely to continue.

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