MD Legislature Bucks Governor in a Vote for Safer Roads

Montgomery County Gets Speed Safety Cameras Thanks to Override of Ehrlich's veto

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 27, 2006) — A lifesaving bill for high risk Montgomery County areas became a reality Wednesday after the Maryland State Senate and General Assembly overturned the Governor's veto by a 2-to-1 margin. The legislation allows communities in Montgomery County to use speed monitoring systems to enforce speed limits in school zones and residential areas with posted speed limits under 35 mph.

In recent years, there have been as many as 14,725 speed-related crashes annually in Maryland. These crashes result in as many as 230 fatalities a year and thousands of injuries. “Crossing the street should not be or even feel like a death-defying act, yet each year more people are killed simply trying to cross the street than in homicides in Montgomery County,” said Delegate William A. Bronrott (D-16, Bethesda), sponsor of the bill in the House of Delegates. “The Maryland legislature's override of the Governor's veto of this legislation was about public safety, not politics. It was about saving lives and restoring safety and civility on streets closest to our schools and homes.”

Speed photo enforcement has been used worldwide for over 30 years by law enforcement agencies in more than 75 countries. In Washington, D.C., reductions in the number of drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the speed limit ranged from 38 to 89 percent after the implementation of photo enforcement.

“We applaud the leadership of Delegate Bronrott and the actions of the state Senate and House in voting to overturn Governor Erhlich's veto. For drivers who insist on blatantly breaking the law, photo enforcement provides a strong deterrent,” said Leslie Blakey, Executive Director of the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running.

This measure would affect Montgomery County residents almost exclusively, since very few commuters choose low speed routes through school zones and neighborhoods. Drivers who receive photographic evidence of a violation in the mail will pay a $40 fine. There will be no points assigned to the driver's record.

The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running is a national advocacy group guided by an independent advisory board that includes leaders from the fields of traffic safety, law enforcement, transportation engineering, health care and emergency medicine, as well as crash victims. More information on the Campaign can be found at www.stopredlightrunning.com.