Speed Cameras Proving Successful Throughout the Country

The cameras that police forces are using across the country are proving to be very efficient. Two communities around the country have been recognized as significant success stories regarding the use of speeding cameras. These communities are Scottsdale, Arizona and Montgomery County, Maryland.

According to a press release from the Governor's Highway Safety Association, both communities have seen significant results in the past year from their camera systems they implemented to catch vehicles exceeding the speed limit. In Scottsdale this program was implemented along Loop 101. This stretch of highway had seen fifteen percent of vehicles exceeding the speed limit before the cameras were put into place. After the implementation of the speed cameras, that percentage dropped to between one and two percent along this road according to the press release. Scottsdale has also seen non-peak travel time accidents reduce by 54% since the cameras were installed.

In Montgomery County, MD according to the article, the county police force installed cameras to catch speeders in school and residential zones with 35 mph speed limits. Since implementing the speed cameras system, the amount of vehicles going over 10 miles per hour over the speed limit have dropped by 70 percent. The press release also indicates that speed limits in areas where the speed cameras are not operational yet have seen a 39% drop in vehicles exceeding the speed limit.

Speed cameras are mounted on poles along the roadways. According to an article by Public Surveillance.com the cameras then take a photo of the front and rear license plates of a vehicle exceeding the speed limit. The article indicates that another method is to take a photo of one of the license plates along with a photo of the driver. Police jurisdictions then allow the owner of the vehicle to dispute the ticket and turn over the driver if they were not driving the vehicle.

For those that are concerned about police departments just implementing these speed camera systems to raise money for the county or department there is good news from the EthicsinPolicing.com website. The information on that website indicates that the money in most police jurisdictions that is collected through the use of speed cameras is reinvested in highway safety and education programs.

Speed cameras are still only in small percentage of police jurisdictions throughout the country. If you are driving in an area that is unfamiliar to you can usually find out if speed limits are enforced using speed cameras by observing signs located along the road.

EthicsinPolicing.com. "Study probes ethics of speeding cameras".
URL:http://www.ethicsinpolicing.com/article.asp?id=3692

Prnewswire.com. "New Research Reinforces Effectiveness of Speed Cameras ".
URL:http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=KFSNSVY.story&STORY=/www/story/01-31-2008/0004746801&EDATE=THU+Jan+31+2008,+09:00+AM

Public Survelliance.com. "Red-Light and Speeding Cameras".
URL:http://www.publicsurveillance.com/red-light.html