NEW speed cameras near a major town have generated $21,000 in fines from speeding tickets, officials report.
Of the tickets generated, some 20% are said to be repeat offenders – while fines have been picked up equally between residents and out-of-town drivers.
Not known, clear with picture deskNew speed cameras have already racked up $21,000 in fines, targeting both residents and out-of-town drivers[/caption] GettyOfficials stress driver awareness isn’t the issue as speeding remains a persistent problem[/caption] Not known, clear with picture deskProtecting 3,600 residents, new speed cameras aim to curb traffic violations on three roads[/caption]Speaking to CT Insider, local selectman Jim Brinton said: “It means that people’s concerns have been validated – speeding is a huge, huge problem.”
Furthermore, warning signs for the cameras are positioned on the roads before each camera – along with speed limit warnings – suggesting the issue isn’t around driver awareness.
Brinton added: “I think people should be aware because it’s been a two-year process.”
The approval to install speed cameras on three roads in the town was issued in December, with towns required under state law to submit plans for approval before they can begin using red light or speed cameras to enforce traffic laws.
These specific cameras, located in Washington, Connecticut, on Old Litchfield Road, Route 109 and Baldwin Hill Road, are placed to protect the estimated 3,600 residents across five rural villages.
Of the three approved roads, the town installed the cameras on Old Litchfield Road and Route 109 some six weeks ago, while a camera will be installed on Baldwin Hill Road within the next couple of weeks.
These cameras are designed to detect and collect evidence of traffic violations – by recording images of license plate data, date, time and location.
Then, there is a 30-day grace period once the new camera is installed – during which written warnings are issued for violations instead of citations.
Once that grace period is up, citations are issued – with drivers forced to fork out $50 for the first violation and $75 for each subsequent one.
These citations are then mailed by the town to the registered owner of the speeding vehicle photographed by the camera.
A LONG TIME COMING
Washington has struggled with speeding drivers for a number of years, but problems have escalated in recent times.
Brinton said: “It got exponentially worse after the pandemic, and we got constantly flooded with calls.”
This led to controlling the speed limit on the three roads becoming the town’s “single goal” for applying for the automated cameras.
Reactions to the cameras have been mixed – with some commending the local authority’s efforts to slow down motorists and protect pedestrians.
Others, though, are concerned the cameras invade their privacy.
Brinton said: “In our town, a rural town, you have a lot of pedestrians, a lot of children, utilizing our roads for exercise, and it was a safety concern.”
This is only the beginning too, as the town plans to apply to the state to add three more roads to its traffic camera plan.
The three additional roads have yet to be determined – with a data tracker required to monitor which roads would benefit the most from cameras.
Brinton added that he has spoken with leaders of other municipalities, including in neighbouring Sherman and Hebron, on the process of applying for automated traffic cameras.
“It’s well worth it if we get people to slow down,” he said.
“Hopefully, it means it’s an effective deterrent and it’s really that simple to get people to slow down.”
How to fight a speeding ticket
According to a legally reviewed post, there are five effective strategies to fighting a speeding ticket if it was wrongfully issued.
If pulled over and issued a ticket, drivers can argue or dispute a driver’s personal opinion. When issuing a speeding ticket, an officer is required to write their opinion and come to an “objective” conclusion. If the ticket was written based on that judgment, it can be contested. An example would be if you were going 75 mph in a 65 mph zone because others were traveling at the same speed, you could argue that it would be more dangerous to travel at 65 mph. You can dispute the officer’s presentation of evidence. If you were ticketed for something like running a stop sign or making an illegal u-turn, you can’t contest that if an officer saw you, but you can call things into court like eyewitnesses, diagrams, or photos. Argue that the ticket was issued by a “mistake of fact.” This is tricky, but a “mistake of fact” is a mistake made by a driver about a situation that was beyond their control, or if a driver legitimately did not know they were violating the law. For example, you were driving in two lanes because the lane markers were so worn down that you could not see them. You could say circumstances justified your driving. You could say you were speeding to pass a possibly drunk driver, or avoiding an accident by rapidly changing lanes. However, the argument won’t work if there’s proof you continued to speed after passing. Similar to the above, it could be argued that speeding was necessary to avoid harm. The key is to argue that if you weren’t speeding, you or someone else could have been harmed. Consult a traffic attorney, if all else fails. Many have free consultations to decide whether or not there’s a case.Source: FindLaw
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