The Arizona Republic did an analysis of the speed camera program and concluded that the majority of photos had to be thrown out. Here’s an excerpt:
Motorists activated photo-enforcement cameras on Arizona highways more than 471,000 times from December through February – more than 5,200 times each day – but on average, only about one-third of those drivers received tickets from the state Department of Public Safety.
An Arizona Republic analysis of three months of records shows Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. and the DPS threw out more than 65 percent of the photos captured.
The reasons for rejecting tickets vary but are relatively uncomplicated: Sun glare, dirty windshields and traffic rank as top causes.
There is also this reference to a “goal” that the ticket camera company has:
Redflex, a Scottsdale-based company that operates Arizona’s statewide system, has a goal of issuing tickets 80 percent of the time the cameras are activated, DPS Lt. Jeff King said.
The only goal that Redflex and the Department of Public Safety should have is to give out tickets to drivers who actually deserve tickets — not meeting some arbitrary 80 percent goal.
It’s clear that, as usual, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Redflex are more focused on making money than making the roads safer.
You can read the rest of the Arizona Republic article here.
