PG County Police to Start Using New Technology to Catch Speeders in School Zones

          We are all familiar with seeing the big boxes located in the areas around school zones throughout Maryland.  These boxes are speed cameras that catch drivers who drive too fast in school areas.  Over the last few years, more and more Maryland counties have been adding speed cameras around schools to make the streets safer for children when they are crossing.

            In Prince George’s County, police are launching a new speed camera technology that uses a laser gun to catch speeders.  Instead of the big speed camera boxes that most school zones have, these devices are handheld and much smaller.  Police officers plan to use these devices in areas where big speed camera boxes just do not make sense to install.  Since these new devices are handheld, they are easily transported and can be used temporarily in areas where the communities around schools need them.  Another benefit of this device is that the camera is attached to the laser device and sends speeding drivers the ticket in the mail without police having to physically pull the driver over.  If the device detects a driver going 12 miles per hour above the posted speed limit, a ticket will be sent to the driver in the mail.

            PG County police will start with two devices to use initially, and will expand if successful.  One of the reasons PG County decided to use the technology is because the county has the most highway crashes and pedestrian fatalities in the state and the Washington, D.C. region.  “In the year before the county had a speed camera program for school zones, 70 children under the age of 15 were hit by cars,” says AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman, John Townsend.  Citations will be given out after a 30-day warning period and will include a $40 fine.

            Pedestrian safety is an important issue for people of all ages, but especially so for school-age children.  Speeding in school zones is a major issue that must be corrected.  These new devices are certainly promising because it makes it a lot easier for police to employ and send out tickets.  In addition, police can set up in a different spot every day so that drivers must always drive slowly in the school areas because a speed camera device could be set up anywhere to catch them.

If you or a family member have been injured or killed in a pedestrian accident and would like to consult an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney for free, contact our office at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at one of our office locations in Greenbelt or throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/