House panel dispatches some real 'turkeys'
One of the most important jobs of a legislative committee is to quickly weed out the multitude of muddle-headed bills that lawmakers introduce. By that standard, the House Environmental Matters Committee did some fine work last week killing off some of the "turkeys" proposed for changes to state traffic law.
Gone is the bill that would limit the use of work zone speed cameras to times when crews are present in the zone -- a measure that overlooked the increased hazards caused by closed shoulders, lane shifts and the presence of construction equipment. Gone is a goofy bill -- inspired by lobbyist Bruce Bereano -- that would have sealed court records of speed camera violations.
Also dead is a bill lowering Maryland's already lenient fine for speeding violations caught by cameras from $40 to $30. The committee also killed a bill requiring wordy signage at work zones monitored by cameras to warn drivers of what they should already know -- that the work zones are in effect 24/7.
Comments
The signs warning motorists of speed cameras in work zones on Maryland's Interstate system (for example, I-695 at Md. 26 and I-95 at the ICC) seem to be very clear. Anyone that got a speeding ticket in either of those two probably deserved one!
Posted by: C. P. Zilliacus | March 14, 2011 8:01 PM
Thereby proving the state's freeway cameras really are just about money.
Now they can get back to the stuff they really wanted to accomplish this year, like removing the law requiring police to approve citations (HOUSE BILL 664) and exempting Police from receiving citations when they are not responding to calls (HOUSE BILL 1205).
Meanwhile, the state will continue using a type of camera which fails to meet the requirement in existing law that it be certified by an independent calibration lab. Every speed camera program in the state is currently breaking the laws regarding speed camera use in some way, and every restriction on the use of speed cameras has been broken or rendered meaningless by some speed camera program in the state.
Posted by: StopBigBrotherMD | March 15, 2011 4:51 AM
I like the construction speed zone at the ICC and 95 that has the same speed limit as the rest of 95. How does this qualify for a speed camera when the speed isn't reduced? There is no way that this zone should be monitored when work crews aren't present.
I think someone needs to investigate the speed indicators at the edge of the zones. I think they are about 10 mph slow so drivers think they are under the 12 mph limit but really are in the ticket zone. How often are these units calibrated? Or is the State setting them low on purpose to collect more money?
Posted by: Mark | March 15, 2011 1:17 PM
If the cameras were all about the money, there wouldn't be fair warning.
But think about how much better it would be for the responsible, law-abiding citizens if it WAS all about the money. Random movement of the cameras along with higher fines -- there's no downside.
Lower taxes for us, more speed camera tickets for you.
The best part about it is that everyone is free to choose a side.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 15, 2011 3:43 PM