Montgomery County: Speed cameras improve safety

Montgomery County Executive Isaiah Leggett announced that a CountyStat analysis of the Safe Speed automated speed enforcement program shows that speed cameras are cutting crashes, aggressive driving and improving traffic safety. CountyStat found that the cameras dramatically decreased the number of speeding violations by an average of 69 percent and decreased vehicle speed by an average of 22 percent. "Montgomery County is proving that speed cameras work - and they are making our streets safer for everyone," said Leggett. "Speed kills - and slowing drivers down is a proven way to reduce deaths and injuries. Thanks to the analytical approach taken by CountyStat, we now have data that confirms that speed cameras are protecting pedestrians and other motorists by targeting aggressive driving."

CountyStat looked at data from 11 cameras installed in the County between October and December 2007. Staff selected cameras for which eight to 12 months of complete data was available for the analysis. Traffic volumes did not decline at any of the locations over the study period.

Montgomery County's speed camera program is the first in Maryland to enforce speed limits in locations posted at 35 mph or less. Under the state legislation that authorized the County to install cameras, they can only be located in residential areas and school zones.

CountyStat analyzed the following camera sites: 3300 Randolph Road eastbound and westbound; 4600 Randolph Road eastbound and westbound; 18600 Montgomery Village Avenue northbound and southbound; 300 Wayne Avenue eastbound; 600 Wayne Avenue westbound; 13500 Travilah Road northbound; 13600 Travilah Road southbound; and 14000 Dufief Mill Road southbound.