Residents along Maryland Route 210 in Prince George’s County are calling for higher fines for speeding drivers and repeat offenders.
The 210 Traffic Safety Committee held a meeting Wednesday afternoon in Oxon Hill to garner support for a bill expected to be introduced in the new session of the Maryland General Assembly.
The new legislation, PG/MC-102-24, would significantly increase speeding fines in some cases, depending on how fast the driver was going, from $40 to more than $500.
“We have a static system right now — $40, no matter if you’re going 67 miles an hour, or you get caught going 167 miles an hour,” said Rev. Robert Screen, a member of the 210 Traffic Safety Committee.
The proposed bill would fine speeding drivers based on how much they exceeded the posted limit:
- 12-21 miles per hour over the limit would warrant a $40 fine
- 22-31 miles per hour over the limit would warrant a $90 fine
- 32-41 miles per hour over the limit would warrant a $160 fine
- 42-51 miles per hour over the limit would warrant a $290 fine
- 52 miles per hour or more over the limit would warrant a $530 fine
Fines for repeat speeding offenses in a two-year period would range from $50 for a second violation, up to $350 for a sixth.
The county has seen 91 fatalities on MD-210 in the last 16 years, according to Screen, who added that “we only have a 14-mile span of road.”
Screen said there is a dire need for more safety measures on the highway: “We have a crisis situation.”
Although there are three speed cameras along the stretch, residents worry they haven’t been enough to deter hyper-fast drivers. Some vehicles have been clocked going 150 miles per hour, according to Screen.
“The bottom line of what we’re trying to do is save lives,” Screen said. “We’ve lost far too many lives on this highway.”
