Union officials said one reason for the ticket drop is that officers have too much else to do to focus on ticket-writing. Traffic enforcement is kind of a spare-time activity, said Sgt. David Hammel, legislative chairman of the State Law Enforcement Officers Labor Alliance. There's only so many hours in the day. Hammel said troopers are frequently called away from speeding enforcement to deal with minor accidents.
Troopers also face other demands for their time.
We handle a lot of calls for service in other counties, outside the major metropolitan areas, Oland said. Hammel noted that only the big seven counties have their own police departments. Hammel also pointed to the increase in the number of roads with a 65-mph speed limit, and said drivers were less likely to exceed a higher speed limit. Myra Wieman, the Maryland spokeswoman for the American Automobile Association, said many drivers are figuring out how fast they can go without getting caught. I think more and more people are becoming aware of the difference between a posted speed limit and an enforced speed limit, she said.