Speed Cameras

Purpose sc1.png

Increase road safety and reduce serious injuries and fatalities caused by speeding.

Description

Speed safety cameras are a type of automated enforcement technology that detect and record images of vehicles traveling faster than the posted speed limit. The footage is then reviewed by Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) to issue a citation for the violation. The goal of speed safety cameras is to provide a method of automated safety enforcement that deters speeding and improves safety on roads

Safety Benefits

  • Reduce speeding.
  • Reduce speeding-related crashes.
  • Replace speed enforcement by physical policing. 

Street Types and Context

Applicable Street Types

Speed cameras are effective on all street types. However, by current Virginia State law speed cameras may only be placed in designated school zones or highway work zones

Other Location Guidance

  • Crash, speed, and citation data can be factors in assessing and identifying locations for automated safety enforcement.

Primary User Groups

Vehicles include cars, buses, motorcyclists, and large trucks.

Key Implementation Considerations

  • Install signage warning drivers in advance of the first speed camera on a corridor.
  • Prioritized for school zone segments based on: whether there is space to install a camera unit adjacent to the school beacon; crash rates; vehicle speeds and volumes; equity emphasis areas; and the number of school walk zones along the school zone roadway.
  • Arlington County received a grant from Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) to develop speed camera placement guidelines in school zones. The guidelines are expected to be completed in 2022

Expected Crash Reduction

Speed safety cameras have been found to reduce injury crashes 18.5 to 27.5% (Li et al. 2013).

Cost

Medium to high-cost treatment, and maintenance.

Speed cameras require an initial installation fee and then require monthly operational fees. Additionally, a full-time police officer must review footage to issue citations. Revenue collected from camera violation fines is directed into the County’s general fund.

Timeline

One to two years.

One to three or more years, depending on complexity.

Application in ArlingtonSpeed Camera_George Mason.png

Visit Vision Zero Program Dashboard: PhotoSPEED to see where this tool has been implemented.

Vision Zero Dashboard

References

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