Work Zone Violation (How’d You Beat Your Ticket?)
February 22, 2011 by NashFan · 196 Comments
I received a Phoenix traffic-ticket for traveling too fast in a Work Zone. However, the ticket was issued to me at 615pm – and there were no more workers in the area. (I pointed this out to the cop, but he wasn’t interested in what I had to say.) I figured I’d probably just get screwed by the judge, as well. Fortunately, the judge was rational, and agreed that if there are no workers in the area, then there is no risk – and no violation. So, if anyone gets one of these tickets in Phoenix (or anywhere for that matter), always remember that if there are no workers present, there’s no violation!
New Federal Report on Red Light Cameras Raises New Issues
June 15, 2010 by NashFan · 4 Comments
During an investigation by News 4, it was revealed that some of the traffic lights at Tucson intersections had yellow lights lasting shorter than the “3-second standard.” Now, a report recently given to the U.S. House of Representatives has also investigated the issue of short yellow lights. According to Mark Spears, a systems engineer “who has been studying red light issues for years,” Arizona is one of the few states to have a three-second standard for yellow lights. “It’s been consistently set in many many states from California to Georgia at four seconds of yellow at the minimum,” he said, adding that a “40% reduction in accidents is what the study shows just by increasing the yellow by one second.” Councilman Steve Kozachik recently made a motion at a Tucson meeting to add a second to the yellow lights where there are cameras, but the transportation director urged against it and there was no second motion.
Arizona to Eliminate Speed-Enforcement Cameras on Freeways
May 6, 2010 by NashFan · 4 Comments
Arizona’s Department of Public Safety has sent a letter to Redflex Traffic Systems, informing them that their contract over freeway speed-enforcement will not be renewed – and the 78 cameras will be turned off after July 15th. Photo-enforcement on city streets will not be affected. Ever since then-Governor Janet Napolitano included the program in her 2009 budget, controversy has surrounded the cameras, resulting in vandalism and even violence in some cases. While advocates of the program claim it reduces accidents and saves lives, critics contend that they actually increase crashes and are purely moneymakers for the state. Current Governor Jan Brewer, who was Secretary of State at the time of the program’s implementation, was among those who publicly criticized it from the start. “She did not support the state photo-radar system because it appeared from the beginning to be designed exclusively as a revenue-generator,” a spokesman for Brewer said. Meanwhile, signatures are being gathered for a ballot initiative which would ban photo-enforcement throughout the state.
Photo Enforcement Industry Launches All Out Florida Campaign
March 1, 2010 by NashFan · 10 Comments
Despite losing all nine contests at the ballot box, photo-ticketing companies are not going down without a fight. They are currently trying to urge the Florida legislature to allow cities the right to install red light cameras which is in direct violation of state law. The industry has gone as far as contracting a polling company called Public Opinion Strategies (POS) which is able to conduct polls with results which sway favorably for the ticket cameras – in direct contrast to what we see at the ballot box.
