The Negatives of the Speed Camera
Grant Z. Dong
Mrs. Ratz
Honors English 9 Pd 2
9 September 2013
9/9/13
Metropolitan Police Department
300 Indiana Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20001
Dear Mrs. Lanier:
Speed cameras and red light cameras, we have all gotten them and almost all of us hate them. They are meant to slow us down, keep us safe from dangerous drivers and provides enforcement for the law. However is this nuisance really helping? I think not. The cameras are often inaccurate and ineffective. They also require regular maintenance, calibration, and monitoring adding to their already high cost. Court cases on camera tickets are often one sided, making fighting against them almost impossible and limiting our rights to a fair trial.
The effectiveness of speed cameras is highly questionable. They have been known to issue faulty fines and tickets to people traveling under the speed limit and lawful right turns at intersections. This is not just a onetime occurrence either. 54,000 dollars in tickets were refunded due to a faulty camera in Hagerstown. 26,000 dollars were refunded in Greenbelt. These cameras are not only faulty but also do little to stop hazardous driving. Drivers often slow down while in the range of a camera only to speed back up the moment they leave the camera’s range. These fluctuations of speed due to the presence of speed cameras do more harm than good.
The cameras are really not worth their price. A hefty 2.5 million dollars were paid for the purchase of 72 new speed cameras in Baltimore, which is 35,000 dollars per camera! The cameras also require constant maintenance and calibration to meet state requirements. Private companies are the ones who review these tickets, not the state, so are we sure we can trust them? These ineffective machines have a price that would make taxpayers cry.
Speed camera tickets are also very hard to fight in court. The accuser is a machine, so how do you question it? The tickets are issued weeks after the alleged crime which makes it
Mrs. Ratz
Honors English 9 Pd 2
9 September 2013
9/9/13
Metropolitan Police Department
300 Indiana Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20001
Dear Mrs. Lanier:
Speed cameras and red light cameras, we have all gotten them and almost all of us hate them. They are meant to slow us down, keep us safe from dangerous drivers and provides enforcement for the law. However is this nuisance really helping? I think not. The cameras are often inaccurate and ineffective. They also require regular maintenance, calibration, and monitoring adding to their already high cost. Court cases on camera tickets are often one sided, making fighting against them almost impossible and limiting our rights to a fair trial.
The effectiveness of speed cameras is highly questionable. They have been known to issue faulty fines and tickets to people traveling under the speed limit and lawful right turns at intersections. This is not just a onetime occurrence either. 54,000 dollars in tickets were refunded due to a faulty camera in Hagerstown. 26,000 dollars were refunded in Greenbelt. These cameras are not only faulty but also do little to stop hazardous driving. Drivers often slow down while in the range of a camera only to speed back up the moment they leave the camera’s range. These fluctuations of speed due to the presence of speed cameras do more harm than good.
The cameras are really not worth their price. A hefty 2.5 million dollars were paid for the purchase of 72 new speed cameras in Baltimore, which is 35,000 dollars per camera! The cameras also require constant maintenance and calibration to meet state requirements. Private companies are the ones who review these tickets, not the state, so are we sure we can trust them? These ineffective machines have a price that would make taxpayers cry.
Speed camera tickets are also very hard to fight in court. The accuser is a machine, so how do you question it? The tickets are issued weeks after the alleged crime which makes it