Arizonans will not get a chance to decide if they think photo radar and red light cameras are a good idea.
On a 15-14 vote, the Senate on Tuesday killed a proposal to put the question about the legality of photo enforcement on the November ballot. The chances of the measure being resurrected are slim, as this is the same time the Senate killed the plan.
Tuesday’s vote came even after Sen. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson, offered an escape clause of sorts: He said he would amend the measure in the House to allow voters in each city and county to decide for themselves if they want to keep photo enforcement even if the statewide ban were to be enacted.
Sen. Paula Aboud, D-Tucson, said people running red lights kill and injure other motorists. She said it was wrong of lawmakers to even propose to deprive communities of a tool that promotes public safety.
Rich posted at 8:15 pm on Tue, Mar 6, 2012.
Of course, if they need money they need to alter a photo. Money is power.
DrJCA1 posted at 10:17 pm on Tue, Mar 6, 2012.
But isn't it your "right" to speed, weave in and out of traffic, drive impaired, run red lights, and generally drive like an immature teenageer? If you cannot drive like a responsible adult, then you should have to walk.
PhotoRadarScam posted at 6:22 am on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
It's a shame that 15 Senators do not think Arizonans deserve a voice - a vote - to decide if they want to be policed with fairness and integrity. They don't deserve your vote this fall, and this especially includes Driggs, Crandall, and Gray.
DrJCA, this isn't about the "right" to speed or do anything. This doesn't abolish police enforcement. In Peoria it increased accidents, so getting rid of cameras makes things SAFER. Mailing tickets to owners of vehicles weeks later does nothing to improve safety.
downtownresident posted at 7:41 am on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
PhotoRadarScam,
Get your head out of the sand. Photo radar does not increase the risk of accidents unless you are speeding already and overcorrect. You can spout meaningless "statistics" all day long and still not get to the point that photo radar may impeed your "right" to drive wrecklessly.
Face it, you just don't get it.
In case you haven't noticed, here in Mesa many intersections already have 5, yes 5 cameras in the air already and more are coming.
Photo radar makes the raods SAFER! Get over it!
Yahoo posted at 10:06 am on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
Speeding is unsafe and it irks me when I see people going too fast in their car. However, this was not about legalizing speeding. This was about giving the people of Arizona a say in how their speeding laws could be enforced. As a democrat (with a small d), I can't see any compelling reason why people shouldn't be able to vote on this.
Yahoo posted at 10:06 am on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
PS. I would have voted to keep them.
Hayburner3 posted at 11:33 am on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
The vote will always be close - to give the impression that they are trying to reform things - they want to get re-elected. But they will NEVER vote to let the public vote on cameras. Because they know that the public will vote the cameras out.
Red light cameras give a false sense of safety because even with a $500 fine (Calif.) the presence of a camera doesn't stop the real late runs - because the runners don't know (a lost tourist) or don't remember (a distracted or impaired local), that there's a camera up ahead. They're not doing it on purpose!
The real late runs cause the accidents. To stop them, improve the visual cues that say "signal ahead." Florida's DOT found that pavement paint cut runs by up to 74%. Make the signals bigger, add backboards, and put the poles on the NEAR side of the intersection. Put brighter bulbs in the street lights at signals. Add lighted name signs for the cross streets.
Even if you have cameras, do the cues. They're cheap to do citywide, unlike cameras which are expensive, can't stop real late runs, increase rearenders, drive shoppers away, and send local money to Oz or Goldman-Sachs, never to return.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 3:30 pm on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
Senator Paula Aboud you are a fool. People usually don't run a red light on purpose and is usually done accidentally. Your little camera will just send a fine to those drivers.
Secondly, how will taking a picture stop a car from entering the intersection?
dryheat posted at 10:22 pm on Wed, Mar 7, 2012.
Photoradar is a scam. You will only hear about how it reduces accidents "within" the intersection. They don't tell you about the huge increase in accidents "outside" the intersection.
Juggernaut8000 posted at 11:50 am on Thu, Mar 8, 2012.
This irrational woman should be removed from her position.