Arizona Photo Radar

Smile! You May Be on Photo Radar Camera

If you're new to Arizona, you may be surprised to discover Arizona photo radar the hard way - when that camera light flashes and takes a photo of your license plate as you speed past it.

Speeding drivers and red light runners are an all too common sight in Arizona.

Use of photo radar cameras is on the increase in Arizona

So, some communities turned to photo radar to combat the problem.

Arizona photo radar is a combination of a camera and speed sensors that simultaneously takes a picture of your license plate while recording your driving speed. They are also used to catch red light runners.

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 40 miles per hour, a motorist would have to be driving at least 51 miles per hour - or 11 miles over the posted speed limit - to trigger the cameras.

Currently, there are photo radar cameras in several Arizona cities.

The city of Scottsdale photo radar program is the most developed in Arizona.

Speeding violations can result in fines, which average about $157.

Scottsdale photo radar includes:

• stationary cameras at intersections for red light enforcement and mid-block to target speeders,
• mobile photo speed enforcement vans, which are moved around Scottsdale several times each day according to residents’ complaints and trends in speeding and collision data,
• left-turn photo enforcement, whereby cameras monitor left hand turns. The cameras photograph drivers who enter the intersection after the traffic light has turned red. The typical fine for running the red light is $204.

Current stationary photo radar Scottsdale locations include:

• Scottsdale Road at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard,
• Scottsdale Road at Shea Boulevard,
• Pima Road south of Hualapai Drive,
• Hayden Road at Indian School Road.

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.

Both the city of Tucson and Pima County have also implemented photo radar.

A photo radar camera on the highway into Star Valley, near Payson

Tucson's program now consists of photo radar vans, which take pictures of speeders, as well as stationary red light cameras.

The Tucson police place signs near the van warning drivers that they are entering a photo enforcement area.

The vans are usually set up in school enforcement zones and in "speeding-prone" areas.

The first red light camera was installed at the intersection of East Tanque Verde, East Grant and North Kolb roads.

The cameras only take pictures of vehicles that enter the intersection on a red light; not on green or yellow lights.

Pima County's program consists of stationary cameras.

For current photo radar van deployment and a fact sheet on Tucson's program, see the Tucson Police Department web site.

For information on Pima County photo radar locations and fines, see the Pima County Arizona Speed Camera Enforcement Program.

Chandler, a suburb south of Phoenix, has also implemented photo radar.

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.

Other cities which employ stationary Arizona photo radar enforcement cameras or mobile enforcement units for red light violators and/or speeding include:

• Avondale,
• Mesa,
• Paradise Valley,
• Peoria,
• Phoenix,
• Prescott Valley,
• Star Valley, east of Payson,
• Tempe.

Each city has its own fine scale.

For example, Phoenix photo radar fines average around $199.40 to $129.40, depending upon how far over the speed limit the driver was going.

Mesa's fines average $167.25 to $217.25.

Arizona State Highway Photo Enforcement Program

A sign warning drivers that a photo enforcement zone is ahead

The fixed cameras will be taken down by mid-November, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Arizona's city photo-enforcement programs are not affected by this change.

Drivers who received state photo radar tickets up to July 15 are still required to pay their citation.

Arizona photo radar cameras took over 2.7 million photos since they were first installed in September 2008 through the end of March.

Only a fraction of these speeders actually received tickets in the mail, however, and even fewer - about 16% of citations - were paid, generating about $78 million in revenue to the state.

Fines for a driver caught speeding more than 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit by one of the AZDPS photo radar cameras averaged between $165 - $181.

The placement of Arizona photo radar cameras was determined by three factors: areas with high collision rates, areas where two or more freeways connect and construction zones.

Originally the state's Arizona photo radar program was going to be expanded to include 100 photo radar cameras and mobile vans around the state.

However, in mid-January 2009 with the change in governor and DPS director, the state Department of Public Safety decided to suspend expansion of the program.

Although public outcry over the state photo radar program was vocal, it did not result in a bill or ballot initiative to outlaw the program.

For more details about the AZDPS photo radar program, see their web site: AZDPS Photo Enforcement Cameras

The best way you can avoid a photo radar ticket:

• Don't drive over the posted speed limit.
• Don't exceed 15 miles per hour in a school zone.
• Don't "speed" through green lights.
• Don't run red lights.
• Keep an eye out for the photo enforcement zone signs, which we've noticed are posted prior to entering a speed camera area.