by Vicky Florian ‘14

Four cameras caught 97,000 drivers last year that were going at least 12 mph over the speed limit. For many, this number confirms the fact that the speed limits of Montgomery County streets are too low. Traffic engineers have found that drivers travel at the speed they feel most comfortable and safe, regardless of the actual speed limit. The Maryland State Highway Administration believes “the speed at or below which 85 percent of the motorists drive on a given road when unaffected by slower traffic or poor weather” is an effective guideline for the speed limit of the road, yet Montgomery County does not follow this rule. Instead, it create unreasonably low speed limits, with cameras placed in tricky locations, trapping sensible and safe drivers. The cameras are supposedly there to catch the dangerous drivers that put the community into harm’s way, but are instead just a nuisance to us all.