Last year, a D.C. Council task force debated the contentious issue of the city’s growing network of traffic cameras. While its members discussed the merits (and drawbacks) of using cameras to catch scofflaw motorists, there was one issue no one could come to agreement on: just what is an appropriate fine for drivers who are caught speeding? More importantly, is there a specific fine that’s high enough to deter motorists from zipping through town way too quickly? Is Maryland’s $40 fine too little, or just right? How about D.C.’s fines, which start at $75 and rise to $300?

Well, we may finally have an answer on what works and what doesn’t. NBC4 reports today that Maryland has a much higher proportion of drivers—five times higher than D.C., in fact—who get more than one ticket from a speeding camera, potentially proving that the $40 fines are simply seen by many motorists as another cost of driving:

The District issued 1,018,959 speed camera tickets in FY 2012 and reports 35,192 cars were issued more than one ticket. Montgomery County issued 330,303 tickets in that same time period and reports 50,965 drivers were caught more than once. Prince George’s County had a lower rate of repeat offenders getting more than one ticket than both Montgomery County and D.C., but the percentage jumps when you look at the number of cars being issued five or more tickets. The District had 781 cars issued five or more citations while Prince George’s had 8,101. Montgomery County had 3,240.

Additionally, Maryland boasted far more of the worst offenders than D.C. did. According to NBC4’s report, 56 cars were caught more than 10 times in D.C. in 2012, while the number jumped to 274 in Montgomery County and 859 in Prince George’s County.

The AAA, which has loudly complained that D.C.’s traffic cameras are merely there to pull money out of people’s wallets, came up with a somewhat novel interpretation of the data: “The reason you have this disparity is because the speed cameras you have in Maryland are located in neighborhoods where the schools are located where the speeders live. The offender is most likely a person who lives in the neighborhood drives those same streets every day and is repeating the same offense,” said John Townsend of Mid-Atlantic AAA.

It’s probably worth asking: if those speeders are getting caught by the same speed cameras in their neighborhoods, wouldn’t the best explanation be that they’re not particularly put off by a $40 fine to actually slow down?

This data is certainly interesting, mostly because two academics on the council task force admitted last year that little evidence existed either way for how high a fine would have to be to deter speeding. The task force’s work led to a volley of changes to local speed cameras fines: late last year Mayor Vince Gray dropped the fine for the most common speeding offense (11-15 miles an hour over the speed limit) from $125 to $100, and the D.C. Council further dropped it down to $92. At the same time, Gray increased the fine for the most egregious speeding offenses—25 miles and hour and above over the limit—from $250 to $300. (D.C. is also increasing the use of cameras for other offenses, including illegal right turns on red and blocking an intersection.)

NBC4 also reports that one driver was caught by D.C. speed cameras 22 times last year, while the top offender in Montgomery County raked up 63 tickets and the leading scofflaw in Prince George’s County took in 66 speeding camera tickets. It’s fun to think that had those drivers been caught by actual police officers even a fraction of the time, they likely would have had their licenses suspended and been buried in rising insurance premiums.