Arizona Speed Cameras

[Philip V]

Arizona photo radar sites are vary accommodating in that they always seem to have a sign warning drivers that they are just up ahead. I mean, about 25 yards ahead. Stay alert, and, assuming you're not going so fast that you can't react in time, just shut her down when you see the sign. Of course, you've got'ta be looking for it and not off in a daze.
I can't begin to relate how sorry I was about the guy who got killed just for doing his job. A person shouldn't get the death penalty for catching speeders any more than a speeder should get the same for speeding. WTF.

WBill

The dam signs are always blowing away in the Arizona wind though.

 

[Philip V]

So, those Ford Escape SUVs I see on the interstate are not manned?

they are NOT manned, most of the time. Employees of Redflex (the *******s responsible) do go out and retrieve data and check equipment pretty regularly though.

 

[WBill]

How people get caught by those things? The put a big orange "Photo Enforcement Zone" flag about 200 feet before the equipment. WBill

 

[Philip V]

Here in California, several locales have decided NOT to put these things up because there is not the return on investment they are looking for. Basically, each "event" must be scrutinized by a police officer BEFORE the cite is mailed out to the owner of the car as indicated by the license plate. Pix must show both license (usually front at the intersections here locally) AND clear pic of the face of the driver. If an event happens to you, and the cite arrives, your absolute defense is that if the picture is not you as the registered owner, you do not have to pay. I do not have a front license plate on my Evo VIII because it interferes with the performance of the front-mounted intercooler. Any picture taken locally would not be able to ID this car. The lack of license HAS resulted in my being pulled over twice, but I am only given a warning and have been released both times.
The requirement for review by the local constabulary costs the city and at the truly tremendous salaries we pay our law enforcement officers around here, the systems do not usually pay for themselves well. Add to this the cost of continual & periodic maintenance (vandalism seems to be a recurring problem...go figure) our city has decided NOT to put up any additional systems due to the cost of maintaining and operating them.

Cheers,

W2

The Redflex system used in AZ and NM are maintained by Redflex, not by State funds. All the equipment belongs to said private company and they keep half of the revenue (at least in NM). So it is a win/win for the State. They get to fleece the citizens for FREE.

 

[Philip V]

This is a sore spot for me. First of all let me say that I have NOT been ticketed by these dam things, but on a return trip from Las Vegas recently. I had the unfortunate pleasure of traveling through Arizona. It was very windy and raining off and on. We (two bikes) were traveling, in traffic, slightly below the posted speed limit, when out of the corner of me eye there was a bright flash, this normally would not have caused much of a problem as a quick glance showed that it came from a camera car buried in the weeds on the side of the road. The problem was that the car in front of us panicked and slammed on its brakes. My FJR strained under the antilocks to stop in time, but my friends bike got a bit sideways placing him in the next traffic lane, which was fortunately un occupied at the moment. This has been the first of two close calls for me because of these flashes. My first recommendation to the States is that they REQUIRE Redflex to use higher quality cameras, thus, eliminating most of the use for flash. My plea to other riders though is this, complain to the AZ tourism dept., letting them know that Bike Week in AZ is being removed from your agenda next year. If the State risks the loss of tourism revenue they might reconsider having these cameras everywhere. The different motorcycle forums could be a big help in this by having a form that we riders could sign off on so that it is submitted as a group item. Just a thought

 

[FJR-Voltron]

How people get caught by those things? The put a big orange "Photo Enforcement Zone" flag about 200 feet before the equipment. WBill

200 ft? It seems more like 20 ft.

I just got back from AZ and I must've seen over 20 of those Nazi cameras on the freeway. Most of them are conveniently located right next to areas where the speed limit drops from 75 to 65, and so on.

 

[Silver Penguin]

The problem was that the car in front of us panicked and slammed on its brakes. My FJR strained under the antilocks to stop in time, but my friends bike got a bit sideways placing him in the next traffic lane, which was fortunately un occupied at the moment. This has been the first of two close calls for me because of these flashes.

You mentioned that your speed at the time was reasonable. Perhaps your following distance wasn't quite enough? We're all aware that drivers do some obscenely stupid things and that the onus is on the rider to anticipate and avoid.

I do agree that the driver should NOT have slammed all on, just for a flash. In a perfect world, he would have been driving at or below the limit and not had the need to make a panic manoever. The world is not perfect, so we're all reminded to stay back. They're out to get you!!

(Glad you and your buddy made it through OK)

 

[happyPuppy]

The best bet is to put the use of them on the ballot. I am glad to see some bills and groundswell support starting. There are other states that the People said "No thanks!" to this money grab and got rid of them.

 

[Philip V]

The problem was that the car in front of us panicked and slammed on its brakes. My FJR strained under the antilocks to stop in time, but my friends bike got a bit sideways placing him in the next traffic lane, which was fortunately un occupied at the moment. This has been the first of two close calls for me because of these flashes.

You mentioned that your speed at the time was reasonable. Perhaps your following distance wasn't quite enough? We're all aware that drivers do some obscenely stupid things and that the onus is on the rider to anticipate and avoid.

I do agree that the driver should NOT have slammed all on, just for a flash. In a perfect world, he would have been driving at or below the limit and not had the need to make a panic manoever. The world is not perfect, so we're all reminded to stay back. They're out to get you!!

(Glad you and your buddy made it through OK)

Enough distance for average braking, but with the slam on and the distraction of the flash, that distance disappeared real quick

 

[mi2az]

I was told by another forum, If you ride on the line that divides the travel lanes, the camera will not go off. You are avoiding the sensors that way

 

[SkooterG]

I was told by another forum, If you ride on the line that divides the travel lanes, the camera will not go off. You are avoiding the sensors that way

For fixed cameras on a motorcycle that is true!

Not so for mobile cameras as they use radar.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

I was told by another forum, If you ride on the line that divides the travel lanes, the camera will not go off. You are avoiding the sensors that way

For fixed cameras on a motorcycle that is true!

I heard that, too.

Not so for mobile cameras as they use radar.

So, if your detector goes off and you see the mobile camera unit -- you've been photographed? Or, only if you're speeding? Or, a certain distance from the unit?

Anyway..., I heard (sometime in) 2010 it will end in AZ.

 

[beemerdons]

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/us/03ari...zona&st=cse Great News, My Fellow Zonies: Big Brother may be pulling the plug on Arizona Speed Cameras! Free at Last My Little Children, Glory Free at Last!

 

[Crash Cash]

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/us/03ari...zona&st=cse Great News, My Fellow Zonies: Big Brother may be pulling the plug on Arizona Speed Cameras! Free at Last My Little Children, Glory Free at Last!

"Lt. Jeff King, photo enforcement district commander for the Department of Public Safety, said his agency just wanted drivers to go the speed limit and did not understand all the backlash."

It's stupidass Dilbert-style statements like this that get my goat worse than anything. The guy's a district commander, he just CAN'T be THAT stupid or naive, and I resent being treated like an ***** by people like this. Does he seriously expect me to think he honestly believes that? I do hope he loses his job.

If it's anything like Florida, they have 55mph 4 & 6 lane divided roadways with 35mph limits, and they wonder why everyone and his dog are speeding.

 

[Fred W]

"The ticket becomes invalid if a violator who ignores it is not served in person within three months. It is nearly impossible to say how many people have ignored their tickets because courts do not track the figure."

Huh?

They already know how many tickets they issued, and how many people paid them or requested court dates. Can't they do the math?

I think they know quite well that the majority are being intentionally ignored, and they can't afford to serve them all, but they don't want to publicly admit that it was a "not well thought out" program.

 

[WBill]

At the risk of being different:

There are those of us who actually prefer to ride at a speed approximating the posted limit, only to have some cretin on stimulants, piloting a double-bottomed tractor and semi trailer, run over or side-swipe us. This is particularly bothersome on Az. Interstates ending in "0," where I may be the only one who admits to appreciating those photo enforcement zones.

Pay attention to the road and your surroundings, which ought to be a given if you are speeding, and photo enforcement shouldn't be a problem.

Sorry...WBill

 

[SacramentoMike]

Sounds like the system worked. Thanks, Janet Napolitano. :lol:

 

[Wolfhound]

The photo cams are set to trip at 11 mph over the limit so running just under 85 in a 75 and you're good to go. Can't remember being passed by semis (unless weather) as they usually run the speed limit.

As has been noted here you just have to bypass the sensor in the pavement & camera never sees you. I usually do this in the high speed lane by riding right next to white line. You can see the sensors in the pavement. Save yourself abt $180 . . .

 

[beemerdons]

The photo cams are set to trip at 11 mph over the limit so running just under 85 in a 75 and you're good to go. Can't remember being passed by semis (unless weather) as they usually run the speed limit.As has been noted here you just have to bypass the sensor in the pavement & camera never sees you. I usually do this in the high speed lane by riding right next to white line. You can see the sensors in the pavement. Save yourself abt $180 . . .

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...0&start=280 Greetings, Sergeant Ashby! Robert, are you and Kiki riding to Death Valley Daze with Fairlaner, Cooleyman, djbill and I? It would be like old times, with us all racing FJR's around the desert!

 

[Wolfhound]

I would REALLY like to be there but shoulder isn't up to it yet. I should be getting the go from my Doc the middle of next month. I have exceeded expectations with healing and should be stronger/near pain free for the first time in 25 years. I found out one of the muscle/tendon was torn in half during my car accident in 1985 and I lived with it until one of the other two rotator cuff muscle/tendons ripped in half also (2 inch plus gap) leaving me without use of my dominant arm since the end of Feb '09. I had surgery the end of Oct.

Wish FJR was updated and a bit lower. Be riding something soon ! Finally