Drivers in one Arizona city are racking up a stunning number of speeding violations — about one every three minutes — due to the use of new technology that is rolling out nationwide.
Officials installed a series of speed-monitoring cameras throughout Phoenix in late February. The new initiative, aimed at catching speeding drivers and reducing fatal accidents, came with a month-long grace period during which the city only sent out warnings, not citations.
But since that warning period expired in late March, more than 30,000 legal notices and citations have been sent to drivers accused of speeding, a spokesperson for the city's Street Transportation Department told AZCentral. That works out to around one every three minutes.
That is down significantly from the warning period when the cameras were triggered 70,000 times and more than 51,000 warnings were sent out, AZCentral reported.
How the Cameras Work
The cameras use radar to detect vehicles going over the posted speed limit and then take photos. Those images provide officials with a license plate, make, and model of the vehicle, so a citation can be issued.
Many major cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, have installed similar cameras to catch speeders. When officials in Oakland, California, installed new speed cameras earlier this year, it resulted in 82,000 citations in just one month.
Effectiveness of Speed Cameras
The data shows these cameras are effective. Speed cameras can reduce crashes on major urban streets by up to 54 percent, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
Phoenix installed a total of 17 cameras in February, including nine cameras that will be rotated every six months through locations with 'histories of speed-involved crashes,' according to a city press release. The other eight cameras are located in school zones but will be deployed to other locations throughout the city during the summer when school is not in session.
The program is 'an important step forward in our commitment to reducing fatalities on Phoenix roads,' said Briiana Velez, director of the city's Street Transportation Department.
Pedestrian Safety in Arizona
Arizona's pedestrian fatality rate (3.65 deaths per 100,000 people) is the second-highest in the nation, ranking just below New Mexico, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. The Independent has requested comment from the Phoenix Street Transportation Department.
Mixed Reactions from Locals
Phoenix's new cameras have sparked mixed responses from residents. 'I have never gotten a ticket in my life,' resident Tige Nagel told ABC 15 last week. 'But I did get a warning, it was in the first month when they just implemented the new cameras.'
Resident Nancy Schiller told the network she has seen fewer speeders after a camera was installed near the business she owns. 'It's more manageable in traffic. People aren't cutting in and out, flying by. They know that speed camera's there, so they're going to stop,' she said.
