Traffic cameras on two roads near Marshallton quickly becoming a key test of Delaware’s new speed-enforcement strategy. In a two-month period this spring, cameras captured more than 20,000 speeding vehicles, said New Castle County Police Sgt. Gregg Bruno. During the first month, when drivers were still in a warning period, more than 14,000 notices were mailed. Since then, thousands of citations have poured in. The speeding is occurring on the part of the motorists captured by the system, but also raises larger questions about fairness, money, public safety and whether there will be a greater number of roads added to the program in the near future.
Are Marshallton speed cameras showing drivers ignoring the limit?
New Castle County’s new traffic cameras are showing early results that speeding near Marshallton was a much bigger problem than many residents had been saying for years. Over 20,000 speeding vehicles were caught on camera on Milltown Road and McKennans Church Road in just two months. County police said the average driver was traveling within 10 mph of the posted limit, but some were flying much higher. One driver was recorded doing 57 mph on a road with a 30-mph speed limit. Another drove 66 mph on a 35-mph road. Those numbers are the reason residents pushed for action, after repeated complaints about dangerous driving in the area, officials say.
Source – National Motorists Association
Will More Roads Get Cameras?
But for now, county officials say they aren’t in a rush to add more cameras. “The focus remains on the two sites that are currently in place and evaluating how the cameras are doing before any expansion is considered,” said Natalie Criscenzo, a spokesperson for New Castle County. That careful approach is important because the program is still new, and it could get more controversial if it expands to other public roads. The county council approved the cameras last year, and later the capital budget was approved by state lawmakers. Delaware also approved another speed camera program on Main Street in Newark. The latest results could affect whether other parts of the country get similar enforcement next.
Are tickets about safety or government revenue?
County officials are quick to point out that the cameras aren’t meant to be a cash cow. The county had mailed out more than 3,000 citations after the grace period and was processing another 3,515, Sgt. Gregg Bruno said. He also said 345 drivers have been cited more than once, meaning this is not just a problem of one-time mistakes. But there are questions about what kind of revenue the tickets might generate, and how the public would react if more cameras popped up around town. Fines start at $20 but the larger debate may be whether the cameras are viewed as a legitimate safety tool or a permanent form of surveillance on local roads.
