Apparently, a Mark Zaid was given a $50 ticket for flashing his headlights to warn an approaching driver to slow down because police were monitoring the road ahead. Zaid was told that flashing one’s lights while driving is an offense in Maryland, and could even result in a charge of interference with a police investigation. Nevermind that the flashing of lights prevented a crime, and achieved what the County says it’s trying to accomplish with it’s speed camera program by slowing the oncoming driver down. No, the problem for the County is that it lost a chance to ticket the oncoming driver. The solution? Ticket the other one! Thank goodness someone got ticketed, don’t you agree?
I’m so glad Zaid took one for the team (he’s considering filing suit on the matter), and the Post told the story. Otherwise, how would I know that flashing my lights when I drive home at 1am to make the deer move out of the way was an illegal act? I’d hate to have my children observe me violating the peace when I try to warn another driver heading toward us that their headlights are not on. Even worse, if I flash to let my daughter know it’s me approaching when I pick her up at the mall or the bus stop, I wouldn’t want to be responsible for being an unsafe, automotive evildoer.
Clearly, this is about finding another way to get money in the County’s coffers without raising taxes or without going to the people for consent. What’s next? Fines for any touching of the yellow lines? Imperfect parking? Laser guided measuring of distances kept behind school buses and County vehicles? How about illegal parking or loitering charges if we don’t move quickly enough after a light turns green?
Think I’m being ridiculous? That this is all ludicrous ranting? I completely understand. Last week I’d have thought the same thing about getting ticketed for telling another driver to slow down.
MAY 31, 2009 MARYLAND FOR RESPONSIBLE ENFORCEMENT unfortunately, today was not a bright day for the citizens of Maryland; as they fell just shy of the required 17,883 signatures needed to bring SB-277 to Ballot Referendum with approximately 16,000 signatures. NO referendums on SPEED CAMS go find out WHY! Search Facebook for Maryland for Responsible Enforcement - Ban Speed Cameras There is no presumption of innocence No right to face your accuser in court and cross examine witnesses is guaranteed by the US Bill of Rights. Speed cameras deny you this right because the accuser is a machine. The lack of human oversight means that no one person will be held accountable if there are widespread errors. Since tickets are received weeks later, the accused has a very limited ability to gather evidence in their defense. The government is forbidden from engaging in sweeping surveillance systems without warrants to look for offenders of crimes. Since the current system issues no points for citations, a wealthy but extremely bad driver can receive dozens of speed camera tickets without losing their license, if they pay the fines. CAN WE SAY CONFLICT OF INTEREST HERE? The speed cameras are NOT operated by police. Instead this is outsourced to a private company, ACS. ACS RECEIVES A $16.25 PER TICKET COMMISSION In violation of Montgomery county law. Meanwhile, ACS has been actively lobbying Annapolis for more speed cameras.
These cameras are potentially very BIG MONEY. Washington DC's speed and red light camera systems have issued 2,952,333 tickets worth $224 million as of July 31 2007. Most of that money has come from Maryland residents. Some people have actually started to propose that using cameras for revenue generation is a GOOD THING, because it can generate more public funds without raising taxes. In fact at least one city in Montgomery County signed a contract written in such a way as to require the contractor to guarantee a profit. Both Montgomery County and the State of Maryland had serious budget shortfalls in 2008, so there is reason to believe they may view cameras as a solution to future budget problems. This desire for more public funds at any cost ignores the fact that using law enforcement for revenue generation is harmful to our justice system, creating a conflict of interest by the state against the accused. Future administrations may be encouraged to use overbearing tactics to increase revenues -- such as concealed cameras, deliberately lowering speed limits, deceptive or inadequate signs, or cameras placed immediately after the sign reducing the speed limit. High school students in Maryland are using speed cameras as a tool to fine innocent drivers in a game, according to the Montgomery County Sentinel newspaper. Because photo enforcement devices will automatically mail out a ticket to any registered vehicle owner based solely on a photograph of a license plate, any driver could receive a ticket if someone else creates a duplicate of his license plate and drives quickly past a speed camera. The private companies that mails out the tickets often do not bother High school students in Maryland are using speed cameras as a tool to fine innocent drivers in a game, according to the Montgomery County Sentinel newspaper. Because photo enforcement devices will automatically mail out a ticket to any registered vehicle owner based solely on a photograph of a license plate, any driver could receive a ticket if someone else creates a duplicate of his license plate and drives quickly past a speed camera. The private companies that mail out the tickets often do not bother to verify whether vehicle registration information for the accused vehicle matches the photographed vehicler to verify whether vehicle registration information for the accused vehicle matches the photographed vehicle. By Dan Morse and Eric M. Weiss Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, April 3, 2009 But in the two years since Montgomery County became the first jurisdiction in Maryland to install speed cameras, they have helped make roads safer, county police say. The cameras have generated more than 500,000 citations, at $40 a pop, netting more than $16 million, after expenses, for local governments in Montgomery. What they are not telling you is that they cost Maryland drivers 20,000,000.00 and the private company that put them up made 4,000,000.00 And the state has decided it wants more of the money, lowering the amount that actually goes to the local governments.
2nd) My problem with this idea is it is too new to make such a bold decision. You will always get someone to over extends in every profession pretty much everywhere you go. It isn't fair to decide all speed cameras are just to generate revenue.
3rd) The cameras once known will slow people down and that is good right? So what if they take down the cameras? What do you do? You say patrol that road maybe? Considering the budget crunch I don't think so with so much else going on.
I believe the answer is to just simply not speed. Cameras offer a more even playing field in my book. How many times have you seen a police officer handing out a ticket and that speeding driver on your rear speed away free???
I understand where you are coming from, but again, if people obey the speed limit the cameras won't generate any money and the roads will be safer. We can't keep asking for something to be done and every time something is done we can't seem to agree with it.
Don't you think this issue is getting a little tired? So what if it's only for revenue? I pay for the privilege to drive on Rte. 267 (the Dulles Toll road) every day, and save time avoiding Rt. 66 and Rt. 7. Aren't speeders just paying a premium for the privilege of exceeding the posted speed limit? Besides, like other local jurisdictions, the County is running such a deficit that the meager sums being collected from speeders aren?t going to solve any of its problems.
By the way, are you certain that there is a "Montgomery County Revenue Department?" The County has "Revenue Authority", but they don't collect taxes or revenues from speeding tickets. They issue bonds, run the County's public golf courses and run the County Airpark.
