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Essay / Persuasive Essay on Speed Cameras - 1792
I'll cover several below and give you a new perspective on the corruption of speed cameras and the people behind them. Speed cameras are computerized machines, as some of us may know. This means there is no sure way to know if the camera is recording correctly. It could have become uncalibrated, leaving innocent drivers with a ticket they don't deserve. The lack of human oversight means that no one will be held accountable for widespread errors or misconduct by officials. Because tickets are received weeks later, defendants have a very limited ability to gather evidence for their defense. This is especially true for mobile cameras that may no longer be in the same location, or for work zone cameras whose location may have been significantly changed by the time the defendant becomes aware of the alleged offense. Tickets are issued to the vehicle owner even if he or she is not the driver. A third of speed camera tickets are issued to people who didn't actually commit the offense because someone else was driving at the time. This is especially concerning because Maryland courts have ruled that paying a ticket constitutes an “admission to speeding.” Ticket recipients who contest the citations have their cases heard in an unfair court proceeding commonly referred to as District Court “Speed Camera Day,” where dozens of defendants have their cases heard back-to-back...