Of course other jurisdictions adopted lower tolerances as well.  When the Maryland  Legislature created the law allowing each county in the state to use speed cameras, it was stipulated in the law that they were only allowed in school zones and highway construction zones.    It was also a condition that the jurisdiction establishing the camera would give a tolerance of 12 miles per hour over the speed limit.  That, by definition would mean someone could get away with doing 12 mph over what the sign says.  At least that's what it would mean in most jurisdictions.  Baltimore County issues the citations at 12 miles per hour over.  Why?  More money naturally.  And those politicians that support the increased use of these piggy banks want the citizens to think it's being done for the children.

And what about telling the public that the cameras will only be used during certain times but owners of cars are still getting tickets mailed to them well past those times and even during weekends when schools are not in session and on holidays when nobody is working in work zones.  That is widespread too.  When caught, they lie out of it saying it was a mistake.  Do they take the ticket back?    Bet me!

I will guarantee that the overall average speed through school zones has increased since it came out that the jurisdiction is giving 12 mph over the posted limit.  People that used to drive at the speed limit through school zones now know they can go at least 10 mph faster.  I've actually had numerous people admit this to me.  So what have they accomplished.

Enough on speed cameras, at least for now.  Let's move on briefly to red light cameras. 

There is a similar story regarding the use of red light cameras.  Manipulation of the timing of the signals, especially the shortening of the amber light thus giving drivers less reaction time to stop for the upcoming red signal.    The selection of the intersection  is supposed to be based strictly on the number of accidents where the failure to stop for the red signal was  the cause of the accidents. 

At the vast majority of the intersections where red light cameras have been installed, failure to grant the right of way is the primary cause of the accidents.    Yet, how many red light cameras are installed to catch people making left turns in front of opposing traffic?  But take a look at those intersections that have seen an increase, in some cases a drastic increase in the number of accidents, especially rear-end accidents by panic stricken drivers who slam on the brakes as soon as they see the amber light. 

At one intersection with which  I am particularly familiar, the red light camera was installed for the direction opposite  the direction where all of the accidents were occurring.    Why?  The accidents were occurring uphill and were, once again, right of way violations, not red light related.  It was decided by the powers to be that there was a greater chance of violations down hill, so the camera was set up to catch those, not reduce the number of accidents  in the direction where the accidents were actually occurring.

In court, when testifying on a red light or speeding violation, a police officer must testify to what he observed.  In the case of a radar citation, the officer must testify as to his training and certification in its use.  He must testify how long he observed the vehicle and then who he found the operator to be.  To close, the officer has to prove jurisdiction by testifying that the violation occurred in that jurisdiction.  These radar and red light cameras spit out a photograph and says, "this car went through the red light", or " was speeding".

How to Beat Them At Their Own Game

I always hated radar detectors.  I always felt that they only served one purpose; to give law breakers  a chance.  But that was when you had police officers enforcing the laws.  If you got caught it's because you weren't paying attention.   Today, it's whether you can beat a private company trying to rip you off using technology that was never meant  to be used this way.  If the government, including so many police agencies, are condoning the use of what used to be enforcement tools to generate revenue, then shame on them.  They've turned highway safety into a game.

I don't condone the use of radar and laser detectors to intentionally violate traffic laws, but sometimes human errors take place that are no longer considered when you let Robocop take over.  Can you tell the difference between 11 and 12 mph difference in a car's speed?  Your speedometer can't.  You may think you are doing the same speed as the car in front of you when in actuality you may be 1 mph faster.  If that car is doing 11 over, you just got a ticket from Officer Camera.

You may want to use technology to beat technology.  There are several manufacturers of very good radar and laser detectors.  There are a couple of GPS manufacturers that offer apps to keep you updated on speed and red light camera locations.