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Thursday, February 12, 2015

Bill Would End Photo-Ticketing For Right Turns

A bill has been introduced into the House which would would end the use of red light cameras to issue tickets to vehicles making right turns where right turn are permitted.

House Bill 451, sponsored by Delegate Neil Parrott, would change Maryland's red light camera statute to state : "THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A VIOLATION IN WHICH A MOTOR VEHICLE MAKES A RIGHT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION MONITORED BY A TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL MONITORING SYSTEM"

The bill was prompted by outcries from motorists who received red light camera tickets while making slow moving right turns at intersections where right turn on red is not prohibited. When the City of Rockville began ticketing for right turns en-mass in 2012, some camera locations issued more than ten times as many camera tickets as they had prior to the new ticketing practices going into effect. The new right turn optimized cameras were activated without significant prior notification to the public and without updating the signage at the locations to note that tickets would be issued for right turns. One camera located at WB Gude drive at Gaither Road which had previously been issuing 36-83 tickets per month the year prior to the upgrade, issued 1813 tickets in a single month to motorist surprised by the City's new practice. Many of the tickets were issued to motorists in dedicated right turn lanes.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Red light cameras are for making money they don't have anything to do with safety.

Anonymous said...

The ones I see running the red lights on right turn are blowing through them without even slowing down. I think the law should remain as it is.

Anonymous said...

After all, the law is "right turn on red after stop". Not right turn on red after slowing down. Everyone knows that. Even the lawbreakers that got the tickets Wah, Wah...

Anonymous said...

Running a red light, is running a red light. Right turn, or no right turn. The camera catches people running red lights. That's what its there for. What's the issue? Me personally, I stop before turning right on red. No problem, or complaints. You break the law, you pay the fine. Don't complain you got caught and is isn't "fair"