The fear of citations — and the sting of fines — may have slowed drivers during the first full day of photo enforcement along Loop 101 in Scottsdale.
There were 504 speeders clocked at 76 mph and faster during the first 24 hours Wednesday. That’s down from an average of 770 speeders caught by cameras on weekdays during the warning phase of the trial, according to Pat Dodds, a city spokesman.
“Before we jump to any conclusions, we have to take a long-term look at the speed pattern of motorists, which is what we’ve planned to do,” Dodds said. “That number is encouraging.”
The fastest speeder clocked by the camera was traveling 99 mph Wednesday at the northbound Loop 101 Cactus Road exit, and the secondfastest speeder was clocked at 97 mph at the Raintree Drive exit, Dodds said.
Top speeds during the monthlong warning period routinely topped 100 mph, past records show.
The 504 speeders clocked by the cameras should begin receiving their tickets and summons to appear in Scottsdale City Court in about two weeks, Dodds said.
The first speeder was clocked at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, during the first minute of the citation period, but Dodds said he wasn’t sure what the driver’s speed was.
Of the six cameras placed along a 7.8-mile stretch of Loop 101 between Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard, the camera at the Raintree Drive exit clocked the most, 124 speeders, according to the information Redflex Traffic Systems released to the city.
More than 30,000 speeders were issued warnings between Jan. 22 and Feb. 22, and so far, more than 11,000 of those have been mailed, Dodds said.
