- Speeding tickets in Massachusetts have dropped sharply in a decade.
- Safety groups say speed is playing a larger role in fatal crashes.
- They argue the decline reflects weaker enforcement, not safer roads.
Police in Massachusetts are issuing far fewer speeding tickets than they did a decade ago. On its face, that sounds like great news for everyone. Fewer people are speeding, police are able to focus on more important issues, and everybody wins a little.
According to safety groups, though, the issue is far from improved. Instead, they argue that the state needs more enforcement, specifically in the form of speed cameras.
A Decade Of Decline In Citations
In 2013, Massachusetts police wrote 112,503 speeding tickets in the state. That figure dropped as low as 51,101 in 2021 and has since stabilized around 65,000 per year. Put another way, around one in every 75 drivers in Massachusetts gets a speeding ticket each year. Evidently, it should be a lot more.
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According to StreetsBlog.org, plenty of residents believe speeding is still a major issue. It points to MassBike and Massachusetts Families for Safe Streets, two groups that agree about the situation. It also references federal data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) that shows an uptick in fatal crashes that involve a speeding driver over the last decade.
The Nuance
The key phrase there is “involving a speeding driver.” FARS relies heavily on police reports to determine contributing factors. That designation can include cases where a driver was traveling above the posted limit, but it can also reflect officer judgment that speed was “too fast for conditions.” It does not necessarily mean a driver was clocked at a specific, verified speed. That nuance matters when interpreting trends.
Advocates also point to tolling camera observations on the Massachusetts Turnpike showing that more than half of drivers exceed the 55-mph limit on a typical day. On less congested weekends, that share reportedly climbs dramatically. While that suggests widespread non-compliance, exceeding the limit by a few mph and traveling at truly dangerous speeds are not always differentiated in public discussion.
Despite that, the report relies heavily on anecdotal statements such as “you see it every day” and claims that drivers face “no real consequences.”
The Proposed Solution
Both MassBike and Massachusetts Families for Safe Streets are lobbying the local government to pass bills that would open the door to new speed cameras. Specifically, SB 2344 and HB 3754 would authorize the use of the cameras on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Fines would range from $25 to $150.
The House has not yet acted on its bill, while the Senate’s transportation committee has already endorsed its version.
