Mobile Speed Camera

I've seen those vans before, as well. I haven't seen them in the west valley, but I have seen them throughout the east valley area, notably Scottsdale and Mesa. Too bad there's no advance warning.....

Try calling one of the local radio stations. When we had them in Torono, people were always snitching to the radio stations and they would advertize them on the traffic reports.

Many of the AZ cities post the locations on the website.

Is this truly a speed camera? Can you actually get a ticket from the mobile unit?

If so, wow!

Haven't heard of that tactic yet. My state doesn't have speed cameras, but plenty of speed traps (police car/motorcycle/truck/SUV hidden behind obstructions and other locations invisible to traffic).

My state (GA) is about to pass, if they haven't already, legislation to outlaw red light cameras.

If funding were possible, I could see my county all over the "mobile enforcement" option.

Now that's scary...If you were to get caught by one of those cameras, how much are the speeding tickets? Just curious...

can it be treated the same way as local police car? i mean how can we put POI on police cars? They are also capable of detecting overspeeding.

The moral of above junk is drive slow - within speed limit and be safe.

Never seen them here in VA or NC. Must be a westcoast thing. However, I know that in Europe and Canada(???) that they have model speed traps.

Winnipeg, MB. got the mobile units and the stationary cameras several years ago.

Initially they were white enclosed vans but recently they have moved on to an assortment of vehicles, usually with blacked out rear and side windows.

By law they can only operate in school zones and road construction areas 24/7. (Normal police laser or radar can operate anywhere)

I've never seen them around road construction but they have a number of school zones that are traps and they are there regularly.

To get a proper clock & picture they appear to have to park in the curb lane... I watch for anything parked in that lane at one school I pass daily.

I can just imagine if the police tried that here in NYC. After about an hour in a location that has been broadcast on the radio the sucker would be striped and sold for parts in one of the chop shops by Shea Stadium

Got four moble unit here in Cleveland, They move them around. They do Ticket, the cost is a sliding scale starting at $100bucks.
They just park and leave, then come back later to pick up the van. This radar equipped shutter bug has absolutely no problem meeting and exceeding its quota. And the thing that really sucks is a cop doesn't even have to be present if you request a hearing.

I have seen them in places that in the past were a speed trap that was either a cruiser in hiding or a motor cycle cop, and the sad part is they can set the trap and its not necessary to be in a school zone.

A Police officer has compassion and reason, don't count either from a machine

Bob

Fortunately these are outlawed in Texas. Any speed cameras, mobile or otherwise. But we still have to deal with the RLCs. Some cities were really ticked not being able to hit drivers on the freeways here, because they are not big enough for the vendors to set up the RLCs.

Not AZ though. I guess since the vendor Redflex has it's US HQ there, they are probably offering the Gov a discount. From what I have read they have the interstates peppered with speed cameras. More cameras = more money.

Miss POI, you have done a lot of research on enforcement cameras, what is your take on these mobile units? I believe Avondale is around your neighborhood as well.
Chuck

I am actually in Boise Idaho;) I have added a couple of the mobile speed units that are always stationed at the same spot.

Miss POI

We have these in Lafayette, LA. We got the red-light cameras and these speed vans at the same time. They have a bunch of possible locations listed. They will also put them in locations where people complain about speeders. They have a spot right across from my work where I look outside our front doors and it's parked there. I only see it about once a week, so I assume they move them around a lot.

Don't speed, and don't run red lights. Then there's nothing to worry about. I don't do either, but like to know when something like that is in my area. I have a radar dector, but it's only for a toy thing.
I wish Garmin could, or would set up something in the GPS, that we could set a do not exceed (mph)alert.

I have a Garmin and I also have a "do not exceed (mph)alert." She is sitting in the passenger seat.......
Chuck

say I've got that too. But she's not with me all the time.
When alone, I may ease 5-10 mph over, which I do not intend to do, and a little beep would help. In my immediate area, there is a no tolerance in place. 53 in a 50 is a "I gotcha" on back county roads with no endangerment to traffic. With a lot of 40 - 45 mph curves it's hard to use the cruise control.

Well a month and a half ago I got a ticket from a mobile van radar unit (32 in a 25). They sent me two pictures non of which showed who was driving, however in the first picture the camera did a nice job showing the car from behind and then in the second a close up of my plate.

When I opened the letter and saw the driver could not be identified I sent it back and asked for a hearing.

Yesterday was the day of the hearing, I had to appear in front of the parking ticket department not even traffic court. Anyway I walked into an office there was a guy behind a desk, not a Judge. With a keyboard in front of him with a monitor on the desk facing me along with a microphone and a monitor facing him.

He said Bla bla bla how do you plead?
I said What? wheres my face, I wasn't driving?
he said, are you pleading guilty?
I said are you a Judge? he said no!
I said wheres My face? I wasn't driving!

He said your car, your legally responsible case over!
I said, Does this put points on my license? he said no!
I said does this stop me from buying plates? He said no!
I said I'm not paying a penny case closed, he said Ok I'll drop the fine from $100.00 to $50.00, I said put it in writing!

He did, I took the paper and said I'm not paying a penny and left.

so thats how it works folks.. no points, nothing against plates. Be as hard nosed as them.

I'll pay the $50.00 not $100.00 for 7MPH it's worth a hearing.

Bob

I can;t believe the way states use these tactics in the name of safety. When it is all just a way of generating revenue.
There was a story going around that some smart kids Stole the plates from one of these vans and put them on their car..and sped by the van about 6 times...the Van Sent 6 tickets to itself...

What radar detector do you have? I agree, after spending $800 this year in speeding tickets, I have slowed down a bit. Lawyers are too expensive.

Sounds like you need to read the radar detectors manual. Charley, it only works if you plug it in!!

Yes, they are everywhere in AZ. I live in Prescott, just north of Phoenix and the mobile units are everywhere. On any given day, I can find at least 4 or 5 of them. They are usually on some back streets where the mph is 25 or around schools.

Then what do you expect the punishment to be? I'm pretty sure if a cop pulls you over for speeding, you will get a ticket that you will have to pay. Not only that, it goes on your record. Explain to me why generating revenue automatically makes this, in your mind, a scam?

Ya. My mom got caught by one in Cleveland, cost her around $120.00.

I live in northern AZ in the Prescott area. I've noticed that they've started printing in the local newspaper when and where the vans will be located to give people a heads up.

I live in Glendale and work in scottsdale, I see these vans everday and they have been around for a couple of years now.

I often wondered what would happen if instead of sending them the fine, you took a picture of the money and sent it in instead.

<"The locations of Scottsdale's mobile photo speed-enforcement vans are now listed on the city's Web site, a move officials hope will curb speeding and collisions.

To avoid any panic or brake-slamming, motorists can check to see where digital patrols are focused that day at www.scottsdaleaz.gov/photo radar.

"We really don't want to write tickets," Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said. "We just want people to slow down."
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Scottsdale uses four photo speed-enforcement vans to catch drivers at 11 mph or faster than the posted street speed limit, similar to Loop 101.

Police traffic enforcement officials move the vans around Scottsdale several times each day based on complaints from residents and trends in collisions and speeding data.

Mobile van cameras nabbed 22,795 speeders in 2006, nearly 1,900 each month, though not all were processed in Scottsdale City Court.

Scottsdale's vans are used throughout the city and in the city's busy downtown.

They are each required to be deployed for 240 hours each month at hundreds of sites.

Some other Valley cities also use their city Web sites to warn driver of mobile speed-enforcement locations.>

Found this in the local paper. Statistics are interesting.....
Chuck

In Illinois they use white panel vans with at camera inside in construction zones to enforce the 45mph. They are usually easy to spot. The tickets are mailed to you and you can appeal, but if you are out of town, there goes $350.00

DC did have the mobile speed cameras, usually along 295 though I haven't seen them in a while. I got popped by one back in 2004 I think, 59 in a 55. Then I was sent the pics of the back of the vehicle. not the driver. You had the option of paying $50, request a hearing or you could have someone sign, and get it notarized, that you weren't driving. My brother is a LEO in NoVA, he signed it. Whether it is a mobile/fixed speed camera or a red light camera, if the photo doesn't show who is driving request a hearing. You have the constitutional right to confront your accuser at the hearing. Since a camera can't be cross examined the judge has to drop the charge.

Please note that I am not an attorney, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I've noticed that Scottsdale and Paradise Valley have some pretty regular locations where they set up a mobile unit. Would it make sense to tag those locations for the Enforcement Camera files? Since the file already contains numerous locations where cameras are planned but not yet installed, it doesn't seem like a big inconvenience to also report the regular mobile locations that will announce a camera alert when it sometimes isn't there. Just a thought... comments?

Yes, DC is the most dangerous place for me to drive around. I didn't know that if the photo doesn't show who is driving, then judge can drop the case and you're free to go ?

I created a personal poi with some of the temporary photoradar locations that Pinal Co. seems to frequent. The exercise also served as practice in creating poi's ...since I'm new at it.

You will have to request a hearing before a judge and at the hearing you have the constitutional right to confront your accuser. Tell the judge that you wish to invoke your, IIRC, 6th Amendment rights. That should do it, but I make no guarantees, either written or implied. Let me strongly reiterate, I am not an attorney. Checkout www.cleandrivingrecord.com.

Yep, that sounds like a good plan!

A friend once claimed that his father did this, and got a picture of handcuffs in the mail.

I took the story with a carton (instead of a grain) of salt. The guy used to make outrageous claims.

Ya I have heard that one before. It is an urban folklore so your friend's dad never did any such thing. Still a funny story.

PT

I have noticed the same thing in Scottsdale. There are definitely locations they choose regularly.

If they don't want to include it in the main camera list, could always make a new list just for the mobile cameras, and people would now these are "maybe" locations.

Hopefully won't see those in NY

Where I'm from, photo radar has been around for more then 10+ years. They flash you at 15km over, and no points off because they do not know who was driving as pointed out a few posts back in this thread. A little tip: check the plate of a photo vehicle for a black tag sticker(fleet vehicle sticker)It makes it alot easier to spot them out. The photo vehicles where I'm from use normal yearly stickers now, so they are harder to spot now.

The thing for photo now is the camera in a residental garbage can so don't speed on garbage day. And a camera in a portable electrical box so unless you know where all the mounted electrical boxes are you you get a ticket if you speed.

I cannot wait to become an active member so I can get the red light cameras poi. Not that I need it for the red light (If you go through a red light then you deserve a ticket IMO) It's cause the camera is hooked up to speed aswell. It's going through the courts right now for legistation.

in California, to use radar (and I don't know of any active mobile speed cameras in the state) you can only use radar on a road after you have done a speed survey of the road. Traffic engineers are sometimes loathe to conduct the speed survey because, if everyone is going well above the speed limit, they may be legally required to raise the speed limit on the road.

You don't have to wait-- Just donate like I did and become a member now-- it also helps support the great site!

I am planning to post any possible enforcement cameras in Phoenix that I encounter. specially with the governor trying to extort money using enforcement cameras the situation in AZ is going to be worse

We need people to get tracking devices on these things...

...... in addition to my 680. I've had numerous radar detectors over the years and found that they have more than paid for themselves in avoiding tickets during accidental speeding (and intentional, too). I've found that the radar used in the mobile units is not very strong and they position the units in tricky locations like around corners where radar detectors have a difficult time detecting the signal until it's too late.

For the Phoenix area, a separate POI for the mobile units is definitely a good idea.

There's a company that "promises" traffic revenue for C&C or State governments. These low-lifes do the usual speed trap areas and the fines, as mentioned before, start at $100.

Moral of story? Laser/radar detector (where legal) AM radio station that rats-out the rats...

I am new and just joined this site.

Just saying Hi.

Bry
chauncy_jacob@yahoo.com

Welcome to the site bry;)

Miss POI

Anyone know where the 42 speed enforcement mobile photo radar vans that are or will be set up along I-10 and I-40 are located?http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/11/26/20081126speedvans1126.html
For some reason I thought this was supposed to be public knowledge, but maybe that’s next to impossible when we’re talking about vans’ that are mobile and apparently are only going to be set up from 3pm until 11pm and then moved on to a different location. Any POI files on this data? I guess ADOT wanted to give themselves an early Christmas present.
Does ADOT post on their website the exact locations such as what other cities do per chaspoi's post?

Mobile camera vans every 20 miles in az on I-10 and I-17. The state's politicians are getting sicker by the day