Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed into law on Senate Bill 277, a controversial law that I suspect will decrease the number of fatal accidents in Maryland. This new Maryland law provides for the use of speed cameras in highway work zones and within a half-mile radius of schools, which means that they can be placed on freeways in work zones or close to schools.
Maryland and Arizona are the only states with laws on the books that provide for the use of freeway speed cameras.
Is it apodictic that a disproportionate number of fatal Maryland car accidents involve pedestrians? What kind of pedestrians? With incredible frequency, our accident lawyers see two kinds of fatal pedestrian accident cases: kids and workers in a work zone. This law addresses both problems.
This issue is on my brain because I’m meeting with the parents of a child who died last week in a pedestrian accident in the next 20 minutes. I realize that people have a legitimate fear of Big Brother and I do appreciate that fear. But if it saves the lives of kids, is it really too invasive to make use of technology to make sure people follow the law on a public road?
Maryland’s law takes effect on October 1.