New speed camera concerns were raised in Prince George’s County, Md., when at least one worked overtime a cited several drivers who shouldn’t have received tickets.
By law, the speed camera along High Bridge Road near an elementary school in Bowie operates Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Drivers exceeding the speed limit get a citation in the mail. But one driver complained to police after getting a ticket dated Sunday, Sept. 25.
“On this particular Sunday, Sept. 25, we discovered 18 citations issued incorrectly,” said Julie Parker, of Prince George’s County police. “We then reviewed all of them. We got in touch with the individual drivers. One of them had already paid and was reimbursed. The rest had their tickets waived."
Police did the right thing by forgiving those citations, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, but the incident indicates there may be a bigger problem with speed cameras.
"There are serious questions,” said John Townsend, of AAA Mid-Atlantic. “We're seeing numerous questionable tickets in the county. Many ticketed motorists have gone to court to prove their case, and those cases have been thrown out."
The High Bridge Road incident was isolated, police said. The vendor improperly programmed that camera to operate that Sunday.
Each county can choose the vendor that operates its speed cameras. This mistake may prompt state lawmakers to consider streamlining the regulations over speed cameras.
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