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Apr 25, 2008 -- Maryland set to install speed cameras

In England, people have gone bonkers over cameras on the speedways. These devices calculate your speed, take a picture of your license plate and then mail you a ticket! Driver response has not been favorable; many motorists have repeatedly tried to destroy the cameras.

Now Maryland is poised to install its own speed cameras. They'll be permitted in a handful of places on a test basis because the governor hasn't had a final say yet. Law enforcement claims that these cameras are for safety, but Clark believes the idea is specifically to get money. In fact, the fines go to the car's owner -- not to the person driving at the time of speeding. Clark fully believes we can reduce accidents by slowing down, but he recoils at the idea of having Big Brother overseeing the process.

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What others are saying

  • Cameras
    Not being a turtle, I do obey the speed limit laws. (You know, those white signs that have two digit numbers on them; not drive what speed limit you want!). When I have to pass a slower vehicle that is going under this POSTED speed limit I use the left lane. While doing so I don't like to see someone on my butt going 90 or more(as they do here in ATL) before giving me a chance to get back over! THEY are the ones who cause accidents-NOT ME! I ageee about the ATL police. If they'd drive the interstates then we wouldn't have so many wrecks here!! SLOW DOWN!! It's ashame they can't have the cameras on the highways!! Some cities are losing money because of the cameras because people are actually not going through the redlights! Imagine that!!
    By No Speed Racer @ 05/02/08 04:32:44 PMreport abuse
  • Redlight Camera
    Here in California, the red light ticket costs $381. The camera only is at intersections, so there is no prevention of speeding. You can trigger the camera if you extend out into the intersection or are stuck in the middle of the intersection for a left turn when the signal changes. And the camera actually causes more accidents when cars stop short at a yellow light rather than risk the red light. It is simply a moneymaker for local governments.
    By Redlight Mafia @ 04/29/08 11:42:28 AMreport abuse
  • Money Grab
    When the ticket goes against the car owner and not the driver. It no longer is a criminal issue it is a money issue. If we had them where I lived. I would never loan my car to anyone. Bring on MASS transit. You can't get a fine for riding a bus or train or have to whine about someone driving fast.
    By Reader2.0 @ 04/29/08 09:59:36 AMreport abuse
  • speeding
    if you live in ATL, you routinely see driving that is rude and reckless. It is also NOT unusual in ATL to see drivers speeding at 30-35 MPH over the posted speed limit while in traffic. Local authorities do not make ANY consistent attempts to monitor traffic. BTW, cops around ATL are some of the worst drivers you'll see. If drivers cannot monitor their own behavior, and the cops are not willing to, then we have to use other means. I am NOT in favor of Big Brother, but what are the alternatives? I would welcome a monitoring system that could look for a high differential in speed compared to the flow of traffic, and could look for erratic lateral moves at high speed. This is a pipe dream for ATL since the word "plan" is nothing but another way for the Yankee Establishment to keep Jethro down.
    By marty @ 04/29/08 08:48:50 AMreport abuse
  • It's Law Bending
    Look at it like this. There is a store owner (the police officer), an Assistant Manager, (the car owner), a thief (the car driver), and you have a camera (the speed camera). The owner is the only one who has access to the video from the cameras. Just like the speed cameras for the police.
    The owner happens to be on vacation again and the assistant manager left one day for lunch, as he has done for 15 yrs now. The thief comes in and steals some product and was caught on camera. When the store owner returns from vacation and views the camera tapes he watches a man putting something in his coat, but he can't see the face of the person doing it. The owner cannot tell who is on the tape, so he decides he is going to have the manager arrested for the theft even though the assistant manager told the owner he was gone for lunch at that time.
    The owner justifies this by believing that since the assistant manager was responsible for the store he is responsible for the theft. How can the manager possibly know about the theft while he was gone for lunch? THIS TYPE OF MENTALITY IS ABSURD!
    In this case, just like with store cameras, how is the car owner possibly going to know someone is speeding in their car? Shouldn’t the thief be held accountable for the offense and not the manager? This is only one reason why we need live officers to write traffic tickets. Not to make it easier for someone to speed, but to prevent someone from being unfairly punished. Traffic tickets are punishment. Just like jail is for other law offenses. If the speed camera can’t give a clear picture of the driver, but the owner knows who it is and can prove it, then the owner’s liability should be over. The police need to file charges against the driver. A BIG FAT DUHHH!
    As for the assistant manager, he sued the Owner for poor judgment, false accusations, deformation of character, and back salary plus expenses. We need to be careful. There are people who think they will be safer by charging people for speeding violations who aren’t speeding at all. Read that last sentence again and again until you get it. If you look at what started this speed camera infringement to begin with, it’s obviously MONEY! And the police have been given a free pass to steal our money through law bending
    By A REAL AMERICAN @ 04/29/08 06:58:36 AMreport abuse
  • Revenue Cameras
    If all you turtles(yes, you who cause the majority of the accidents) are so in favor of "speed" cameras, then wouldn't it be fair for you to get a ticket for going too slow as well?
    By Cheetah @ 04/28/08 07:15:15 PMreport abuse
  • Speed Cameras
    Excellent idea! How can we get them here in Atlanta?!! We NEED THEM!! Who care if they charge people a gazillions dollars, let's do it!!!
    By Not Speed Racer @ 04/28/08 03:57:37 PMreport abuse
  • They can ruin your credit
    I'm from Maryland. My sister received a red light ticket while driving a car registered to my mother, but, purchased for my sister. My sister did not pay the ticket and the fine is now on my mothers credit report. Cameras only provide revenue for the state and penalize the owners of the vehicle. I don't believe that's fair. The difference between a police officer catching you and a camera is the person who violated the law doesn't always have to deal with the consequences.
    By Lori @ 04/28/08 12:34:41 PMreport abuse
  • Cameras are fine
    As a MD resident and recipient of a ticket from a camera, I wanted to chime in and say these cameras don't bother me. I deserved the tickets, and it wouldn't bother me even if MD's motive is just to make money. The tickets are only issued if a law is broken. By all means, go to court if someone else was driving your car. But otherwise, obey the law and you won't get a ticket. I'm all for safer streets, and the ticket has definitely had a deterrent effect on me.
    By Greg @ 04/28/08 09:21:30 AMreport abuse
  • Speed Cameras
    If we have cameras catching speeders and at red lights, that means we need less police and lower taxes.
    By PJ @ 04/28/08 06:30:16 AMreport abuse
  • Speeding cameras
    What is the difference between a cop hiding beside the road catching speeders, and an automatic camera catching speeders? The difference is that the camera is more cost effective, and can be there 24/7. The people that oppose it, oppose it simply because they want to continue to speed, wasting fuel and endangering others.
    By Tom @ 04/27/08 07:24:42 PMreport abuse
  • Speed Cameras
    I have a feeling those license plate covers that block angle viewing are going to be very popular..
    By PJ @ 04/26/08 08:41:12 PMreport abuse
  • MD Speed cameras
    Was there in Feb. They've been set up for a while. There is 1 set up outside my sister's town. She got caught right after set up. They take real pretty photos.
    You can tell who is driving and if you read the ticket it doesn't matter who is driving. the car owner gets the ticket. It does not go on your driving record.
    By Don Kelly @ 04/26/08 01:11:01 PMreport abuse
  • Speed Cameras
    One more step towards the end of our great society. *frowns*
    By The Man @ 04/25/08 07:25:05 PMreport abuse
  • Speed Cameras
    Don't pay the tickets. Go to court! Get the police to prove that it was you who was driving. Since this is a criminal matter, you do not have to testify against yourself and do not need to tell the judge if it was or was not you. It is the burden of the police to prove it was you driving. Unless the picture shows who was driving, any fine will be unconstitutional!
    By NestOfRobins @ 04/25/08 03:52:11 PMreport abuse
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