Study: Speed cameras reduce traffic accidents

ROCKVILLE, Md. - They're the cameras nobody wants to take a selfie with, but a new report from traffic safety experts credits Montgomery County's system of fixed and portable speed cameras with saving lives.

In a report released Tuesday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says speed cameras are forcing drivers to slow down, reducing the risk of fatal or serious injury crashes substantially. The Virginia-based IIHS conducted a survey in Montgomery County. More than half of those asked said they had been ticketed. But more than half also said they're okay with the program, which many consider nothing but a money grab for local governments.

If you're caught traveling faster than 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in the county, you'll get a $40 ticket in the mail.

Montgomery County's speed camera program was launched in 2007. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says its new findings may inspire more governments to adopt speed camera programs, which are still rare. Only 138 jurisdictions nationwide operate such programs.

READ THE FULL REPORT: http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/speed-cameras-yield-long-term-safety-benefits-iihs-study-shows