Northwood News ♦ April 2009

Caught on Camera:  MoCo Photo Traffic Enforcement

By Linda S. Perlman

Have you ever driven over the speed limit?  Entered an intersection after the light turned red?  And then breathed a sigh of relief because no police officer was present to issue you a ticket for the violation?  Not so fast; you may not have escaped detection.  You might still receive a citation based on a recorded camera image of your vehicle traveling more than 10 miles above the speed limit or entering an intersection against a red light.

Speed cameras are traffic enforcement devices that automatically take photographs of vehicles that exceed the posted speed limit by at least 10 miles per hour.  The photographs must include two time-stamped images of the vehicle with a stationary object, must show the rear of the vehicle, and must clearly identify the license tag number of the vehicle on at least one of the images.  Neither the driver nor the passengers of the vehicles are shown in the photographs.  When a violation occurs, a citation may then be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle, as determined by the license plate.

Speed cameras can be placed on highways in residential districts with a maximum posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour and in established school zones.  The fine is $40.  Currently, only Montgomery County and the municipalities in Montgomery County (e.g., Takoma Park, Chevy Chase Village, Rockville, and Gaithersburg) are authorized to use automated speed-monitoring systems and to issue citations to drivers for speeding based on recorded camera images.  Maryland law further requires that money from speed camera fines be used for public safety programs.

Red light cameras operate in a similar manner to speed cameras.  A vehicle entering an intersection against a red light traffic control signal triggers the camera and a photo is taken of the vehicle.  The photo’s image must show the rear of the vehicle and the license plate.  The fine for a red light camera violation is currently $75.

Speed and red light violations recorded by camera are not moving violations for purposes of assessing points against the driver’s license record and violations may not be considered for purposes of automobile insurance coverage.

Fines for speed camera and red light camera tickets can generally be paid online, by mail, or in person, or the violation can be contested by requesting a trial on the citation in the District Court of Maryland.  If the fine is not paid and the violation is not contested, then the Motor Vehicle Administration may refuse to register or reregister — or may suspend the registration of — the vehicle.

If the registered vehicle owner was not driving the vehicle at the time of the violation, then the owner may provide a signed affidavit stating that the owner was not operating the vehicle and providing the name, address, and, if possible, the driver’s license number of the actual driver of the vehicle.  The police then have the discretion to forward the citation notice to the person identified by the registered owner.  If the vehicle owner claims that the motor vehicle or license tags were stolen before the speed or red light violation occurred, the owner must submit proof that a police report regarding the stolen vehicle or license tags was filed in a timely manner.

Police and public officials will tell you that automated traffic enforcement is for the safety of citizens, not to enrich the coffers of the state or local police department.  Studies show that speed and red light cameras help decrease speeding and red light running and, as a result, prevent crashes and injuries and save lives as well.  Cameras provide consistent enforcement of vehicle laws and allow police officers to devote their time to other law enforcement duties.  Speed cameras and red light cameras are not considered to be an invasion of privacy as these cameras only take photos of the exterior rear of vehicles whose operators violate traffic laws by speeding or running red lights; law-abiding drivers are unaffected by the cameras.

[Neighborhood Note:  The Montgomery County Department of Police website lists red light camera locations, including East University Boulevard at Colesville Road (pictured in both shots above, in front of Marvin Church).]    ■