Visiting Arizona soon? Be warned!

[dvcforus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvcforus]

We spent a week in Scottsdale in February, and have received 2 traffic tickets from the state of AZ. These are a result of automated traffic cameras. The one I received today was $181 for supposedly going 67 in a 55 MPH zone. So here is the rub, the only way to contest it? Show up in court in AZ. My DH is fuming and has sworn not to visit AZ again. Just a friendly warning! We aren't speeders and I doubt any cop would have pulled us over at 67.

[Ann-Marie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ann-Marie]

Those cameras are very sensitive. I think they ticket at 10 miles over the speed limit.

[dvcforus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvcforus]

Our friends live in Tucson and they said locals hate these cameras and are also afraid of the effect on tourism, and I can honestly say, we'll think twice before vacationing there again as $400 is adding a LOT to our vacation tab! We stayed at the Westin for $400 for the WEEK, lol!

[Hoc Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Hoc]

There are a lot of reasons I don't like Arizona or the attitude of its population. This is one more reason not to go back unless I have no choice.

[pittle Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pittle]

I'm now a "local" and there is something on the radio or in the newspaper just about every day about those cameras. They are certainly revenue generators. We bought some reflective spray from a guy on Craig's list. So far it works - they have not snagged us!

At least they set the speed limits to be the same along the interstates. For a while, it would change on you and of course there was a camera within 200 feet of the slower speed limit.

A friend who works for one of the cities told us that they are set so that it is not over 10 mph, it is 10mph & over - all about the language. The only good thing is that if you pay it, the ticket does not go on your insurance record.

[tabbyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tabbyc]

Photo Cameras have been in AZ since 2007

I received a ticket in March of 2007 speeding on the North #101 freeway at Shea.
The picture of me online was clear and it was in a Avis rental car.
I paid the ticket and changed my driving habits in Arizona.
The problem is that some of the Arizona drivers drive at very high speeds without care for safety and/or other drivers.
AAA provides updates of where the cameras are located.
They also have red light cameras on intersections that have a high rate of offenders. Shea and ScottsdaleRoad is where I ran a yellow and was photographed (I saw the flash) but was not ticketed.
Frank Lloyd Wright/Bell Road has cameras and is heavily enforced by patrol cars.
The freeway cameras don't ticket you unless you are 10-12 mph or more over the limit.
I drive everywhere in this country including 18 major cities and some Arizona drivers are as dangerous as any I have ever seen.
I hate the cameras but I value my life.

[Spence Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Spence]

Montgomery County, Maryland!
Red light cameras and speed cameras everywhere.
In the town of Chevy Chase, Maryland on MD Hwy 185 (also known as Connecticut Ave which goes on into the District and ends about 6 blocks short of the White House) they have an installed camera by the county, 100 yards later, the town has a set that they roll out all the time and 100 yards later the Chevy Chase local yocle stands behind a tree with his radar gun. So if you're not paying attention you can get three tickets and Points from that last guy for going only 41mph (maybe it's 40?)

[sonomom Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sonomom]

I have spoken to several people (one of whom is a police officer) who say those tickets are not worth anything unless you are 'served'. So if you are from another state I doubt anybody is going to hunt you down. Personally i couldnt ignore it but even the cop says throw em away...

AZ native

[dvcforus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dvcforus]

I have spoken to several people (one of whom is a police officer) who say those tickets are not worth anything unless you are 'served'. So if you are from another state I doubt anybody is going to hunt you down. Personally i couldnt ignore it but even the cop says throw em away...

AZ native

That is interesting. It came with a form to return acknowledging you were "served"...I'll have to do some research on this. Thanks.

[stasik Member Find all posts View Profile Close stasik]

I was so paranoid the last time I was in Phoenix and I still managed to get bagged in Tempe. The light turned yellow once I hit the intersection so I gave it a little gas to get through before the red light camera got me and they nailed me for a "fast yellow".

Interestingly, I got a letter from the processing firm that the rental car company assigned the case to. They hit me for $20 to turn my information over to the cops and told me that I would get a ticket in the mail. Never got anything. So I guess I have to stay out of Arizona until the statute of limitation runs out.

I read that they toss a lot of cases in which the photo of the driver isn't clear because they have to prove that you were driving the car. So wear a disguse when you drive in Phoenix and you may have a better shot.

[Ann-Marie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ann-Marie]

The truth of the matter is that speed limits are enforced for a reason. If you need to drive faster than the speed that has been determined to be safe, then you should not be on the road.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

We were in Scottsdale in January of last year. I drove by several of those camera's without managing to get tagged. Of course I was trying to drive the speed limit at all times.

The thing is, mistakes sometimes happen. While I try to pay attention and make sure I'm driving the speed limit, there are occasions when I look down and I'm going faster than I thought. This tends to happen when traffic flow is moving faster than the speed limit or, it's an empty highway. I've noticed that people who are talking on cell phones often have issues with speed regulation. Although it's always seems to me that they're driving much slower than the posted speed limit and actually impeading traffic. I know when my wife gets to talking to me about issues at work, I have to really watch myself as I can easily get the speed of the car above the posted speed limit.

Right now, I'm a little worried about getting a ticket from one of California's unmanned toll booths. I tossed in my money, the meter read zero but, the light never went to green. As there was a line of traffic behind me and I didn't have any additional change, I went on. Just in time to read the sign that says it would cost me $47.50 for running this unmanned toll gate.

Personally, I have issues with unmanned toll gates. Mainly because I tend to not carrry money. When I do carry cash, a lot of times it's in the form of $20's. Thank goodness I had a few one's left over from the tip money I didn't have to hand out to people handling our luggage (no shuttle to the rental car this time). Otherwise, all I would have had would have been a $20 bill.

If we lived here, I'm sure we'd just get one of those transponders that you pre-pay and just drive on through the gate. But as a frequent traveler I find these unmanned toll boths irritating as I never know how much loose change I should keep around when traveling to different states.

[PigsDad Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PigsDad]

So wear a disguse when you drive in Phoenix and you may have a better shot.

I always drive with my Richard Nixon mask. Doesn't everybody?

Kurt

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I hate the speed cameras in the UK but still drive there, even though with the cameras it feels like driving in a totalitarian police state. The whole concept is alien to Anglo-Saxon principles of law. Fortunately, I have not gotten a ticket yet.

The cameras are also not accurate. A couple of years ago, one of the radio station morning programs in eastern NC that likes to tell human interest stories, told one on someone who got a speeding ticket from one of the UK speeed cameras for speeding over 500 miles an hour on a road in England. They read his letter to the UK authorities explaining that he drove an old Toyota, not a jumbo jet, and it was certainly not capable of going over 500 miles an hour. Then they read the form letter he got back saying the cameras were never wrong and to pay up.

One of the problems in the US is that many of the cameras are owned and operated by a private company that contracts with the state or local government, and the breakdown of the take from the cameras is heavily in favor of the company, something like 80/20. Of course, that was the undoing of the red light cameras in North Carolina, which had been put in place by several cities. A school district in one of the cities with the cameras pointed out that under the state constitution all fines and forfeitures had to be paid to the public schools, and they demanded 100% of the take. When that was refused, they sued and the state Supreme Court held in their favor. That put the traffic camera nazis out of business in North Carolina.

Once while driving in the UK, I heard a news report on an unknown person who was being sought who had just cut down his 10th or 12th pole holding a speed cameras. The cameras were destroyed when they hit the ground. They suspected he was someone irate over one of the tickets. As far as I am concerned, this guy or gal is a hero, sort of a modern day Robin Hood.