Speed Trap Cameras May Increase
February 18, 2008
You may want to watch your speed more closely. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently finished a study conducted in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the Washington, D.C. suburb of Montgomery County, Maryland. The results of the study suggest that speed cameras work in slowing down motorists who may be tempted to speed.
In both counties, Scottsdale and Montgomery County, the results seem to be dramatic, and this success may lead to more cameras being installed nationwide. In addition to slowing motorist, the cameras were also able to help convict more motorist who did get caught and this resulted in more money being collected by local authorities.
For the Arizona test, once the cameras were installed and working, speeder rates fell to an amazingly low two percent from fifteen percent.
In the Montgomery County, Maryland study, the cameras are being hailed as the reason for the number of vehicles traveling more than 10 mph faster than the posted limits falling by nearly seventy percent. Those caught speeding have added nearly two million dollars to the county budget in fines and fees.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), much can be learned from the Arizona and Maryland experiences. “The Arizona and Maryland cameras are in areas with demonstrated need and public support.” The group is suggesting that more cameras be installed.
Currently, some 35 state and local police departments now utilize speeding cameras in their traffic enforcement efforts