I just received the dreaded DC photo citation that I was clocked doing 55 in a 40. This was on I-395 entering DC where they drop the speed limit to 40 mph. Although the fine is $50, this is one case where I don't believe I was speeding and may contest the "violation."

I was aware of this speed trap and throttled back accordingly, and of course, everyone then went flying by me on both sides. This occurred on a morning when I was going to BWI to pick up a passenger and was way early and purposely trying to kill time. The weather was also a lot colder than expected and I was trying to drive slower to keep the wind-chill effect in-check.

Anyway, the mailed photo shows another vehicle in front of me and in the left lane which could have also been in the 5 degree radar beam. When I went to the DC web site to see the "official" photo, there was still another vehicle in the photo in front of me in the right lane.

From what I can gather, there is a real problem with "receding radar" and a growing number of cases are being dismissed in court because it cannot be conclusively proved which vehicle the radar selected to trigger a photo when there are multiple vehicles involved.

Does anyone have any info on what brand radar equipment DC utilizes? I am curious to see what equipment limitations the manufacturer cites, tolerances, and other technical matters.

In the end, this will come down to radar response times, distances, and angles. I would expect that even innocent motorists driving less than 40 mph could be getting assessed fines for being in the wrong place at the wrong second.

 

That sucks i got one back in march 2005 right outside of Capitol Heights when they started rolling them out. But didn't feel like driving back to fight it.

 

btw,
It's not a pointable offense.

 

D I S M I S S E D ! ! !

I went to court today on the alleged speed camera charge armed for bear. Long story short - the Hearing Examiner immediately acknowledged the presence of 3 cars in the photo and stated that the District could not prove which car triggered the photo and dismissed the ticket.

From my brief encounter with the DC system, I'm convinced that to maximize revenues they deliberately mail out a large number of flawed tickets hoping respondents won't contest them.

For future reference, my advice is to contest any DC speed camera ticket showing 2 or more cars in the picture. This can probably be done by mail, avoiding the hassle of a personal appearance. The DC court seems to recognize that speed camera radar is not infallible but seems reluctant to publicly acknowledge this.

 

Good to know!

 

def thanks for the heads up and the good info

 

Note to self..Speed in groups in DC. good to hear they dismissed it. My brother got a ticket for running a red light on the night we got hit with the blizzard, the pic showed his truck sliding sideways through the red light and they still sent it.

 

Good 2 hear!

 

The +1 got a ticket on that stretch of the freeway. Beware of speed cameras there (around the 6th St exit). Unfortunately, his car was the only one in the picture. He paid.

 

HAHAHA!! we just need one more person Brian...Lets just get the girls in Lilly's car and we just travel in a pack lol