As some drivers have learned the hard way, Hampton Roads is ahead of the curve in using technology to address speeding. But — as positive as the public safety benefits of that effort might be — critics have raised valid concerns about the potential for technology to be abused to create a 21st century variation of speed traps, a cynical money-making venture for local governments.
Cities and counties in Hampton Roads collected $30.8 million, or 53% of the state’s total revenue in 2022-24, from speed enforcement cameras in school zones and highway construction zones.
Suffolk, where $16.7 million in fines were collected, was the state leader with 29% of the total revenue. Chesapeake — with $11.5 million in fines, or 20% of the state total — was right behind its neighbors. Cameras were also in place in Portsmouth, Hampton, York County and Southampton.
Many drivers, perhaps the majority, are at least occasionally guilty of treating speed limits as a suggestion rather than the law. People push the accelerator a little harder when it seems safe to do so — or when they fear getting run over by more aggressive drivers.
That’s a reality that law enforcement officers tend to accept, choosing to focus instead on excessive speeders who ignore the speed-limit suggestion all together. Speed cameras, however, have altered that equation a bit.
Statewide, the number of localities using cameras jumped from five in 2022 to 53 this year. As Pete Dujardin of the Daily Press recently reported, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, James City County, New Kent County and Gloucester have launched cameras or soon will.
Meanwhile, Virginia State Police are preparing a pilot program to set up speed cameras in construction zones in Hampton, New Kent, Staunton, Harrisonburg and Roanoke. The cameras could generate an estimated 2 million speeding citations, or $100 million, a year.
In that pilot program, the funds will go to the state. But the proceeds from local cameras go to local government, an arrangement that’s causing consternation among state lawmakers who fear profiteering.
“I have to tell you, I’m looking at these totals, and I am appalled,” state Sen. Mark J. Peake, R-Lynchburg, said at a Virginia State Crime Commission meeting this summer. “This is outrageous. We have to do something as a General Assembly.”
“Appalled” is a strong word, but Peake and others are correct in pointing out the potential for abuse here. Speeding fines can be a huge source of revenue for localities — New Kent is on pace to collect nearly one-fifth of its fines from citations — and it’s not hard to imagine some local officials succumbing to the temptation to use cameras to cover budget shortfalls or pad treasuries.
Under state law, the cameras can be used to issue citations only for speeds 10 mph above the limit. That’s certainly a reasonable range, especially in school zones and construction zones.
But critics — including local attorney Tim Anderson, who’s suing Suffolk over its speed cameras — raise valid concerns about the level of scrutiny given to use of the cameras. Current or retired law enforcement officers are required to review all photos of alleged violations before a fine is levied, but the sheer volume — more than 100,000 in Suffolk alone last year — could lead to only cursory reviews.
The General Assembly needs to revisit a bill from Del. Holly D. Seibold, D-Fairfax, that was killed in committee this year. The measure included safeguards against abuse of the cameras, such as a requirement to install two flashing signs showing drivers their speed 1,000 feet before they reach a camera.
According to Suffolk officials, speed cameras led to a 21% reduction in accidents on crash-prone Holland Road and a 45% drop in speeding in school zones.
It’s hard to argue against those results — or the overarching goal of reducing excessive speeding. But additional guardrails are needed to prevent the cameras from becoming more of a profit-making enterprise than a public safety tool.