New legislation would raise the cost of speeding fines for Marylanders
Senate Bill 118
MARYLAND – The Maryland Department of Transportation reports that 1 point 8 percent of speeding accidents result in fatalities, and local officials are taking action.
Enough is Enough
Around 560,000 speeding accidents occur In Maryland every year, with over half resulting in injury. Officials say the speeding must stop. One of the main reasons behind Senate Bill 118- Speed Monitoring Systems: Penalties.
Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli says between April 2023 and now they’ve stopped roughly 9300 vehicles and 47% of those stops were due to speeding. sheriff Crisafulli says fines going up may help keep accidents down.
“People typically are always in a rush, and that’s you know, human nature. I think if people can start getting hit with these fines, that’s a reminder… The lower the speed is, the greater chance that people have of surviving God forbid- a motor vehicle crash.”
Stop Speeding
Senate Bill 118 would have set prices for speed violations:
16 to 19 mph over – $55
20 to 29 mph over- $95
30 to 39 mph over- $180
40 mph & up- $350
Bill sponsor Senator Jeff Wald Streicher had this to say at a judicial hearing earlier this year. “Importantly for me, the lowest tier, which is 12 miles per hour stays the same. And this was a “bat signal” to our constituents. It says ‘We are not in it; to create revenue, we are keeping this fine the same. And what it also says is everyone sometimes speeds.”
Reconfigure Roads
45-year-old Coya Dix thinks the road system needs to be more organized before handing out new tickets. “I believe that if the grid was set up differently, there wouldn’t be the pressure or need to speed.
She goes on to say, “I also feel like some of those stop lights are way too long- whoever sets that up, the systems not working… I’m no longer a speeder- however, I do get a little heavy footed from time to time.”
Bottom line, slow down and stay safe. Maryland’s 2025 Legislative session is set to end on Monday April 7th, and if this legislation is passed it would go into effect October
