Iowa Town Has Racked Up A Ton Of Fines With New Speed Cameras

Whether you like them or not, the state of Iowa is one of 23 states that currently use speeding and/or red light cameras. According to NCSL, "Iowa will allow red-light and speed cameras if they are approved by a local ordinance." A town in central Iowa has recently installed new speed cameras and right off the bat, they are racking up the fines for these citizens.

Marshalltown, Iowa has a population of about 28,000 people and the town recently installed speed cameras. Plenty of Iowans are all too familiar with dealing with these cameras, whether they've driven past them or worse, have received a fine for being caught speeding.

The cameras in Marshalltown have been in operation since late May. According to KCRG, during the beginning phase of these cameras being installed, drivers who were caught going 10 mph over the speed limit were issued a warning instead of a full-on fine. We'll call it a grace period. During that time, more than 1,800 warnings were handed out as police sent them to these drivers in the mail.

Well...since last Thursday (June-22) that grace period has been over and fines are being handed out left and right. These speed cameras are collecting some serious cash in Marshalltown. According to KCRG, as of Monday afternoon, 457 drivers have been cited for speeding.

If we do some quick math, that's a little over 91 speed tickets per day, during that time frame. YIKES! These fines can range anywhere from $100-$400 depending on how over the speed limit each driver was going.

This might come as a bit of a surprise but there are some people who are in favor of these cameras. According to KCRG, one of these cameras is located on Governor's Road and the other is located on Lincoln Way, as you head out of Marshalltown.

Jeanne Christensen is a Marshalltown resident and she told KCRG "I think it's a good thing because people coming from the south do tend to speed."

Put this in your memory bank if you're ever traveling through Marshalltown. The last thing anyone wants it's a surprise in the mail that cost you a couple hundred bucks. If you think you can get away with not paying the fine, think again. The fine might not go against your insurance but you could have a lien placed against your license plates if you don't pay in a timely fashion.

Are these speed cameras annoying? I think plenty of Iowans would agree they can be a bit of a pain in the you-know-what. There is one thing every Iowan can do to avoid receiving one of these fines in the mail, no matter which part of the state you live in, you can always just drive the speed limit...