Highway photo radar may end in AZ

Early Xmas present. And there is a long way to go until xmas!

State legislators on Wednesday proposed legislation to scuttle Arizona's groundbreaking program of using speed enforcement cameras on state highways.

The main sponsor, Republican Rep. Sam Crump of Anthem, said speed cameras are annoying, unfair, intrusive and even dangerous because of backups as motorists abruptly slow down near cameras.

“It's the No. 1 thing I'm hearing from constituents as well as people outside my district,” Crump said. “Arizona has a proud heritage of leaving its citizens alone to the greatest sense possible, and I find that the photo radar speed cameras are really a violation of that heritage.”

Passage would shut down a new Department of Public Safety program launched in September. A contractor has deployed 69 of 100 planned mobile and stationary cameras that are triggered by radar or other sensors.

The bill would ban both state or local cameras on state highways but not affect those used by municipalities or counties on local streets and roads.

Crump said the prohibition could take immediately upon the bill becoming effective. Or the shutdown could be done in stages by first slashing the fines to only the amount necessary to pay the contractor to satisfy any requirements in the two-year contract, he said.

Format Document

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 28, chapter 3, article 6, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 28-711, to read:

START_STATUTE28-711. Photo enforcement system; prohibited use

On a state highway in this state, this state or a local authority shall not use a photo enforcement system to identify violators of this article.