Arizona Photo RadarSmile! You May Be on Photo Radar Camera
Speeding drivers and red light runners are an all too common sight in Arizona. So, some communities have turned to photo radar to combat the problem. Arizona photo radar is a combination of a camera and speed sensors which simultaneously takes a picture of your license plate while recording your driving speed.
Speeding motorists activate the Arizona photo radar camera when they drive over the sensors embedded in the roadway. You can see the large, boxy cameras sitting on either the right or left side of the road. Drivers only trigger the cameras if they are exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. Therefore, if the posted limit is 65 miles per hour, a motorist would have to be driving at least 76 miles per hour - or 11 miles over the posted speed limit - to trigger the cameras. The city of Scottsdale photo radar program is the most developed in Arizona. Scottsdale photo radar includes:
Current stationary photo radar Scottsdale locations include:
The Loop 101 freeway cameras are a pilot program by the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Since their debut in January 2006, the cameras have “caught” more than 124,000 drivers speeding and netted over $3 million for the city and state. Speeding violations can result in fines which average about $157. Exactly where are the cameras? Drivers can find out where the stationary cameras are located and where mobile photo patrols are on a daily basis by checking the city of Scottsdale web site’s
photo radar enforcement page
. Their program currently consists of photo radar vans which take pictures of speeders. The Tucson police will place signs near the van warning drivers that they are entering a photo enforcement area. The van will initially be set up in school enforcement zones and in “speeding-prone” areas. They will also be adding red-light-runner camera enforcement. The first red light camera will be installed at the intersection of East Tanque Verde, East Grant and North Kolb roads. The cameras will only take pictures of vehicles that enter the intersection on a red light; not on green or yellow lights. For current photo radar van deployment and a fact sheet on Tucson’s program, see the
Tucson Police Department web site
. In addition to red light enforcement, Chandler also has "speed on green" cameras along a seven-mile stretch of Arizona Avenue. Drivers can potentially have their photos taken while driving through four major intersections:
Drivers who travel 11 miles or more over the speed limit will be issued a citation. For a complete list of Chandler photo enforcement locations, see the
city of Chandler web site
. Scottsdale is the only city in the United States which employs photo radar on a state freeway. The Arizona state government is considering adding additional cameras in communities which have expressed interest including:
In January 2007, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano stated that she wants the Department of Public Safety to deploy Arizona photo radar cameras along other state freeways and roads. However, no specific locations and timelines have yet been announced. It's probably a safe bet that more cameras will be coming to Arizona roadways. The best way you can avoid a photo radar ticket:
Return to Arizona Driving Tips page from Arizona Photo Radar
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