Maryland's 24/7 work zone speed cameras generated 48,000 citations within a span of two months.

      Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images

      

      

      

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      Did you know that Maryland has speed cameras? Apparently, more than 48,000 individuals have learned this the hard way in just two months. While the state’s photo enforcement initiative began with basic red light cameras over twenty years ago, it is rapidly becoming one of the most infamous electronic speeding enforcement systems in the nation, despite being one of only a few (alongside the District of Columbia) that permits such measures at all.

      For some time, Maryland legislators resisted the temptation to introduce numerous enforcement methods, but that didn’t last. In the last decade, the state has broadened its camera-based enforcement not only to include more permanent sites but has also allowed its use for regulating speeds in construction zones, regardless of whether those zones are active.

      Beginning this year, Maryland implemented a new tiered fine system for work zones that scales according to driver speeds, doubling when workers are present, with a maximum penalty of $1,000 for those exceeding the limit by 40 mph or more in an active construction zone. It's noteworthy that no one is pulled over; offenders receive their citation by mail.

      Speed in Excess of LimitNormal Fine / Fine When Workers Present12-15 mph$60 / $12016-19 mph$80 / $16020-29 mph$140 / $28030-39 mph$270 / $54040 mph or above$500 / $1,000

      On the surface, the increased penalties when workers are present seem reasonable, but I still struggle to understand how Maryland can substantiate 24/7 enforcement of construction zone speed limits even when no workers are present. Even considering that traffic patterns can shift and lanes can narrow during ongoing work (regardless of its status), most highway construction is not significantly more constricting than many Mid-Atlantic freeways at their best. And I can say this with confidence, as I’ve spent considerable time driving on those roads.

      I was born in the wonderful state of Maryland, and it seems I chose the right moment to leave. Even before my departure in 2016, Maryland had already embraced speed cameras. This initiative began over 15 years ago with permanent cameras in active school zones. They initially appeared around Baltimore and the suburbs of Washington, D.C., but later spread to nearly every municipality in the state.

      One aspect of Maryland’s camera enforcement laws that benefits drivers is that camera locations must be publicly disclosed and marked. This is why Maryland lists all its active speed enforcement areas online and why signs indicating that work zones are “Photo Enforced” must be displayed prior to each active zone. Flashing lights activate when zones are active to signify that doubled fines are in effect.

      Out of the 48,000 citations issued in just two months, 23 of them resulted in $1,000 fines, indicating that these occurred while workers were present, with the drivers involved traveling at least 40 mph over the posted limit, according to FOX Baltimore.

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