BEWARE!!! Phoenix Speed Cameras Out of Control

 

Drove to Phoenix Yesterday and on I10 east bound coming into Phoenix we passed over 15 speed cameras in a 25 mile span of road. I had just updated my camera list. Half of the cameras were not on the list. I know everybody here is updating the list as fast as they can. You could end up up with 15 speeding tickets in the mail after you go through Phoenix. BEWARE!!!

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Phoenix Cameras

hercegovac wrote:

If slowing 5 or 10 mph (without prior notice) was so challenging for me I would reconsider my decision to drive a car.

The issue is usually not 'slowing 5 or 10 mph.' It is that everyone is traveling at least 70 (virtually all of Phoenix interstates/loops are 65) and then without warning (actually when they see the 'Photo Enforcement Ahead' sign) they slam on their brakes and go 50-55 in the 65 zone. That sudden 15-20 mph drop is what causes accidents and scary driving conditions. Also, in heavy traffic, the effect of dozens of tail lights coming on slows all traffic. At night the cameras are a real hazard. If you are driving along minding your own business and the car ahead gets photographed, there are two incredibly bright strobe flashes that go off (to catch the front of the car as well as the license plate - AZ only has rear plates). If it is pitch black at night, you are blinded for several seconds. What a way to drive at 65-70 when you suddenly can't see anymore.

It is a real pain getting around Phoenix since the Speed Cameras went in. Often there are 4+ lanes of traffic moving at 50-55 in a 65 zone with no way to pass them. You just can't get anywhere anymore. And distances in Phoenix (I think the sprawl is second only to LA) are very large. Traveling from Peoria to the casino in Scottsdale is about 40 miles and that is not anywhere near the distance to cross the entire metro area.

So don't try to justify people dropping 15-20 mph unnecessarily because they are afraid of a Speed Camera.

Just to add, as I posted,

Just to add, as I posted, had I not just driven there I too would have thought it was an exaggeration. I have not encountered this type of constant slowing down when there is no traffic on a highway before especially going from a legal 65 or in areas 70 mph or just above to all of a sudden to 50 or 55 in some cases. I am just thankful I don't live there and have to drive it all the time.

Hmmmm.

JoeAnne wrote:

When I arrived home from Dallas auto insurance I saw in my mail more than 15 tickets from the same day but only 1 min distance from each other. That means that there were like 15 cameras on the highway and this is just not right for me.

Well with a quick bit of math you get:

15 tickets at 1 minute intervals,
if the cameras were 1 mile apart you were traveling 60mph in a slower speed zone (55mph?) for 15 miles.

if the cameras were 1.5 miles apart you were traveling at 90mph in a slower speed zone for 22.5 miles. I really hope you weren't.

if the cameras were at 1.25 miles apart you were traveling at 75mph in a slower speed zone for 18.75 miles.

--
Nuvi 3790LMT, Nuvi 760 Lifetime map, Lifetime NavTraffic, Garmin E-Trex Legend Just because "Everyone" drives badly does not mean you have to.

A solution.

hjrw wrote:

The issue is usually not 'slowing 5 or 10 mph.' It is that everyone is traveling at least 70 (virtually all of Phoenix interstates/loops are 65) and then without warning (actually when they see the 'Photo Enforcement Ahead' sign) they slam on their brakes and go 50-55 in the 65 zone. That sudden 15-20 mph drop is what causes accidents and scary driving conditions. Also, in heavy traffic, the effect of dozens of tail lights coming on slows all traffic. At night the cameras are a real hazard. If you are driving along minding your own business and the car ahead gets photographed, there are two incredibly bright strobe flashes that go off (to catch the front of the car as well as the license plate - AZ only has rear plates). If it is pitch black at night, you are blinded for several seconds. What a way to drive at 65-70 when you suddenly can't see anymore.

It is a real pain getting around Phoenix since the Speed Cameras went in. Often there are 4+ lanes of traffic moving at 50-55 in a 65 zone with no way to pass them. You just can't get anywhere anymore. And distances in Phoenix (I think the sprawl is second only to LA) are very large. Traveling from Peoria to the casino in Scottsdale is about 40 miles and that is not anywhere near the distance to cross the entire metro area.

So don't try to justify people dropping 15-20 mph unnecessarily because they are afraid of a Speed Camera.

Since you live there an know the driving conditions you could be the smart one and just drive 50-55 and never have to touch the brakes at all.

--
Nuvi 3790LMT, Nuvi 760 Lifetime map, Lifetime NavTraffic, Garmin E-Trex Legend Just because "Everyone" drives badly does not mean you have to.

Ugly

Truly a nasty situation! Red light cameras, I can deal with. Speeding cameras are a different matter. Guess cruise control is the only answer...

--
Tuckahoe Mike - Nuvi 3490LMT, Nuvi 260W, iPhone X, Mazda MX-5 Nav

Speed Cameras

onestep wrote:
JoeAnne wrote:

When I arrived home from Dallas auto insurance I saw in my mail more than 15 tickets from the same day but only 1 min distance from each other. That means that there were like 15 cameras on the highway and this is just not right for me.

Well with a quick bit of math you get:

15 tickets at 1 minute intervals,
if the cameras were 1 mile apart you were traveling 60mph in a slower speed zone (55mph?) for 15 miles.

if the cameras were 1.5 miles apart you were traveling at 90mph in a slower speed zone for 22.5 miles. I really hope you weren't.

if the cameras were at 1.25 miles apart you were traveling at 75mph in a slower speed zone for 18.75 miles.

The Phoenix metro area is laid out on a 1 mile grid, with major roads every mile. On some stretches of I-10 and Loop 101 there is a camera at nearly every exit, or every mile. So it doesn't take much to get caught many times. That is what makes driving so exasperating. You risk getting rammed if you try to drive slower than the speed limit on the freeways, especially as everyone else is speeding up and slowing down. It also doesn't help that often, if traffic is moderately heavy, all of the trucks are lined up in a center lane, making it impossible to pass anyone... and virtually impossible to see the signs for the speed cameras.

+1....Phoenix DPS cameras really stink

It really is ridiculous, if you are traveling eastbound on the 10 approaching the I-17 interchange, there is a constant bog down as everyone is forced to drive 10 miles per hour under the posted speed limit.
Why? because a few drivers freak out causing a chain reaction slow down, what makes it worse, after they are in their new "comfort zone", they forget that the speed limit is 65 instead of 55, and it isn't uncommon to see some poking along under 50 mph!

The really funky part is if you take the truck route {I-17} you go from a 65 mph zone, to a 55 mph zone, back to a 65 mph zone.
Redflex must make a killing in that speed trap.

This has gotten to the point of ridiculous, everyone needs to badger their state representative and make their life hell until these cameras are sent back to Australia.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease guys, especially at the local level when it comes to politics.

I-17 in Phoenix (toward PHX)

Trailboss60 wrote:

It really is ridiculous, if you are traveling eastbound on the 10 approaching the I-17 interchange, there is a constant bog down as everyone is forced to drive 10 miles per hour under the posted speed limit.
Why? because a few drivers freak out causing a chain reaction slow down, what makes it worse, after they are in their new "comfort zone", they forget that the speed limit is 65 instead of 55, and it isn't uncommon to see some poking along under 50 mph!

The really funky part is if you take the truck route {I-17} you go from a 65 mph zone, to a 55 mph zone, back to a 65 mph zone.
Redflex must make a killing in that speed trap.

This has gotten to the point of ridiculous, everyone needs to badger their state representative and make their life hell until these cameras are sent back to Australia.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease guys, especially at the local level when it comes to politics.

You mentioned I-17 speeds. If I recall last spring a couple of cops were nabbed by the cameras on that section of I-17 returning to the station from a call. Not an emergency, no lights, no sirens. They claimed that they were unaware that the speed had changed. Gee. Cops getting photo tickets not knowing the speed limit on their own highways. And they expect us to know the speeds!!!

You are right about the speeds along I-10. Makes it a real pain to get to IKEA or Fry's Electronics in Tempe!

Mailing to Out of State Drivers?

Is there a list of states that AZ will and will not send camera violations to? Interested in MD specifically.

Redflex needs to go,

java007 wrote:

Is there a list of states that AZ will and will not send camera violations to? Interested in MD specifically.

The local anti-camera organization received a copy of Redflex operations manual, it seems that the employees were told to not ticket politicians, judges, and anyone that had "protected" addresses, meaning police officers and other LEO's. This is totally illegal...something in the 14th amendment about equal protection under the law!
The "flow chart" would suggest that out of stater's are ticketed.

http://files.meetup.com/1275333/azdps_redflex_procedure.pdf

speed cameras

It might not be so bad if it were only 5-10 mph total. But usually they are going 10-15 over and slow down to 10-15 under, for a 20-30 mph change. That is a problem especially if there are a bunch of cars in a line. The guy at the end of the line gets hosed.

Cameras in Phoenix

The speed on the 101 is more consistent and steady. People don't blow by you and change lanes as much. If you follow the speed limit, you aren't bothered by them. I think they lead to a safer driving experience. If they bother you, perhaps you just want to be a speeder and not get caught.

--
Strength is breaking a chocolate bar into 4 pieces and eating only one. Garmin Nuvi 265WT

Agree

marty4312 wrote:

The speed on the 101 is more consistent and steady. People don't blow by you and change lanes as much. If you follow the speed limit, you aren't bothered by them. I think they lead to a safer driving experience. If they bother you, perhaps you just want to be a speeder and not get caught.

I agree with you.

I'm really curious about the accident statistics for the last 12 months. Although if results are in favor of the cameras, many will make argument about less cars on the road because of the bad economy.

Holy Moly

Wow!

I thought all you Arizonan's were exagerating about the proliferation of speed cameras...Until I drove through Phoenix on the way to the Albuquerque Balloon Feista.

There were stretches of interstate that had a fixed or mobile camera every half mile. (And the freeway speed changed several times from 70 to 65 to 55 for road construction and the like.) Trying to keep-up with the speed changes was a definate anxiety builder and distraction...Finally,(no matter what the posted speed was) I just set the cruise control to 50 mph (just to be safe) and let everyone pass me. Keeping with the flow of traffic just seemed to carry too much risk.

I will be avoiding Arizona/Phoenix from now on if at all possible. Way too much anxiety while driving...

Jeez!

So it was you!

HawaiianFlyer wrote:

Wow!

...Finally,(no matter what the posted speed was) I just set the cruise control to 50 mph (just to be safe) and let everyone pass me....

So that was you in the left lane at 50 mph in a 75 mph zone, mhhhh???

Just kidding. BTW, there is no 75 in the urban area proper, but 65 is the norm. I do agree with you that there are too many speed limit changes around here and they are often illogical (like several miles at 55 because there WAS a work area a month or two ago). I also would like to see reminders of the local limit every mile or so (in urban areas) as it is impossible to really remember what was the last sign. At least, a repeat of the limit just before the cameras would minimize some of these useless breaking reactions and may get a more harmonized traffic flow.

beware

I agree this is out of control. I would also recommend to everyone to keep updating the redlight cameras for this site. The reason I say this is because they will take down these cameras at certain locations at anytime and move them to other areas. This is how the state makes money. With people like yourselves who take the time to help others with this kind of info for updating gps....the state or any other state cannot make as much money. I belive there will be more cameras on the freeways also. I've also heard that the mobile van cameras can clock you at up to 1 mile perhaps more.

Cameras

Y_I_Work wrote:

I'll be on my bike in AZ in a few months. I will NOT be in the greater Phoenix area. Is there a bunch of speed cameras outside of Phoenix?

Thanks,
Tim

I drive from N. Arizona to Phoenix almost everyday. Beside the cameras on the freeways here in Phoenix, they have set up tons of mobile cars to get you, even outside of Phoenix. Yes, the governor said the state needed money for it's budget and this would bring in over $2M a year. For the mobile units, just keep your eyes open for the orange sign that says photo radar ahead. They have to post the signs. Everyone here sees them, slows down, then speeds up. Too bad everyone just doesn't do the speed limit. Now the good news. I have a few cop buddies and asked them what they thought about all these radar units. They said they loved them because they no longer have to do so much speed control and can attend to other problems.

--
Larry - Nuvi 680, Nuvi 1690, Nuvi 2797LMT

So long Alma Mater

Again, I'll try to avoid Arizona/Phoenix when ever possible.

FYI...Previous attendee of U of A and graduate of Embry Riddle.

How do they clock you?

How do they clock you? Radar?

Good reason to have a good radar detector.

--
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

police should strike

ahsumtoy wrote:

I have a few cop buddies and asked them what they thought about all these radar units. They said they loved them because they no longer have to do so much speed control and can attend to other problems.

If the police unions were doing their jobs, they'd make a big deal out of these ticket cameras, after all they don't pay union dues.

And they WILL cut down on future members you can bet on it.

--
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

Clocking...

Last Mrk wrote:

How do they clock you? Radar?

Good reason to have a good radar detector.

The fixed cameras use sensors embedded in the roadway. That way they know which lane you were in... It was a pain last year when they closed the freeways every night to install the sensor wires. These are similar to the sensors at traffic intersections that trigger the normal traffic lights when a car approaches.

The mobile vans use radar. They seem to use a fairly weak signal, compared to regular police radar. In most cases, the required warning sign is a good distance from the van. I passed one yesterday, however, where my radar detector started going off before the sign... the sign was probably less than 100 feet before the van. The vans are especially bad at night, and dangerous, as they have no lights and are often sitting on the shoulder - if you needed to pull over in an emergency, you could hit one. (A state trooper told me that if someone went off the road and hit me while I was on the shoulder - I was taking a photo of the sunset - that the accident would be my fault. I had pulled over onto the shoulder where it was about 25 feet wide, and stopped at the edge - about 18 feet from the roadway. He didn't care.)

Mobile van cameras

gavin33k wrote:

I agree this is out of control. I would also recommend to everyone to keep updating the redlight cameras for this site. The reason I say this is because they will take down these cameras at certain locations at anytime and move them to other areas. This is how the state makes money. With people like yourselves who take the time to help others with this kind of info for updating gps....the state or any other state cannot make as much money. I believe there will be more cameras on the freeways also. I've also heard that the mobile van cameras can clock you at up to 1 mile perhaps more.

When I have passed a mobile van camera in Arizona (primarily in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, as well as on I-10 in between) the radar signal strength (according to my V1 detector) is pretty weak. A cop car will typically light up full strength on the detector, while the van cameras tend to light up only a couple of indicators, even as you pass them. I assume that is to prevent them from catching you before you pass the mandatory (thank goodness) warning sign.

Do ya think it's just

Do ya think it's just coincidence that the same governor whose tenure saw the introduction of Redflex into Arizona and the subsequent proliferation of cameras is now also the head of the Department of Homeland Security?

.

Yes . . . .

If the cameras had been equipped with photon cannons, it might not have been. But finding ways of milking money from the citizens does not qualify one to root out terrorism.

--
Currently have: SP3, GPSMAP 276c, Nuvi 760T, Nuvi 3790LMT, Zumo 660T

It's simple,,,,

A simple lesson in time , speed and distance.

From SR 101 Loop to Casa Grande is approx' 60 miles through the heart of Phoenix.

A. 60 MPH average = 60 minutes...should be easy to do...absolutly safe in regards to speed cameras...
B. 65 MPH average = 55.4 minutes...not bad, still no speed cameras to get you...
C. 70 MPH average = 51.4 minutes...here come the speed cameras
D. 75 MPH Average = 48 minutes...possible, but outright stpidity (in my estimation) and for what...10 to 12 minutes out of 1440 in a day. Pay the ticket cause you deserve it...

Greenroad

a_user wrote:

If you think Phoenix cameras are bad, then look at what's coming.

Black box that tracks every mile you drive and will make speed cameras obsolete

http://tinyurl.com/c5nm4v

Tests of components making up this system are already being developed and deployed in the US. They haven't been linked together yet, but the first operational deployments should be within 3 years. The Federal Highway Administration recently rebranded the technology as "Intellidrive."

My company is going with something like this in our company cars. It works with a gps system, and will let the company know when we drive to fast, brake to quickly, and this is real time because it uses the cell network. It is the company car, so I can not complain, but this technology is here!

--
"If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score" Lombardi

Is it worth it?

indyjkraft wrote:

A simple lesson in time , speed and distance.

From SR 101 Loop to Casa Grande is approx' 60 miles through the heart of Phoenix.

A. 60 MPH average = 60 minutes...should be easy to do...absolutly safe in regards to speed cameras...
B. 65 MPH average = 55.4 minutes...not bad, still no speed cameras to get you...
C. 70 MPH average = 51.4 minutes...here come the speed cameras
D. 75 MPH Average = 48 minutes...possible, but outright stpidity (in my estimation) and for what...10 to 12 minutes out of 1440 in a day. Pay the ticket cause you deserve it...

There is a lot of truth to the above thinking.
Watch your ETA (and compare) while on a route when you exceed the speed limit by 10/15 mph.
Is it worth the few minutes saved?

I had to drive to Phoenix

I had to drive to Phoenix from Cali. I have never seen as many cameras for tickets as in AZ. From Vans with the teleccoping masts, to the fixed cameras, to all the cops. It was mind blowing

Not really

Quote:

You could end up up with 15 speeding tickets in the mail after you go through Phoenix. BEWARE!!!

Not if you drive the speed limit

--
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

huh?

dave817 wrote:

AZ won't mail a non-moving violation notice to IL. I guess that means I can speed through all of Phoenix and not worry about my IL plates or license being at risk.

Isn't speeding a moving violation?

--
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

..

indyjkraft wrote:

A simple lesson in time , speed and distance.

From SR 101 Loop to Casa Grande is approx' 60 miles through the heart of Phoenix.

A. 60 MPH average = 60 minutes...should be easy to do...absolutly safe in regards to speed cameras...
B. 65 MPH average = 55.4 minutes...not bad, still no speed cameras to get you...
C. 70 MPH average = 51.4 minutes...here come the speed cameras
D. 75 MPH Average = 48 minutes...possible, but outright stpidity (in my estimation) and for what...10 to 12 minutes out of 1440 in a day. Pay the ticket cause you deserve it...

Huh?

Now, I don't know the road in question, but you are comparing apples and oranges. You need to compare the timing with that of the alternate speeds.

Go 10% faster (66 in a 60) and save 6 minutes out of what would otherwise be 60 minutes of the travel time. Go 20% faster (72 in a 60) and save 10 minites of that 60. Go 80 and save 15 minutes of your original one hour travel time.

And if this is your commute, you'll save the same amount of time on the way home;

So, assuming the speed was 80 mph instead of 60 you'll have travelled for 90 minutes per day instead of 120, five times a week, is saving 2.5 hours a week, . . 130 hours a year.

Now, the REAL question is whether the speed limits are set properly for the roads in question in the first place.

It is fact that speed limits set below the design speeds lead to increased accident rates.

If limits are set significantly below the design speed, then it's a straight cash grab from those who are foolish enough to drive the speed for which the road is designed.

Remember Montana!!

--
Currently have: SP3, GPSMAP 276c, Nuvi 760T, Nuvi 3790LMT, Zumo 660T

But what is the speed limit right there?

popeye59 wrote:
Quote:

You could end up up with 15 speeding tickets in the mail after you go through Phoenix. BEWARE!!!

Not if you drive the speed limit

One issue is what is the speed limit at this particular point? 55? 60? 65? (it changes quite often and there aren't many signs to remind you what it is.)

A second issue is all the drivers seeing the camera/van and hitting the brake just in case, even if they're already at or below the limit. This does create traffic jams and accidents too.

So as the OP said: BEWARE!!!!

It is a sad tale that's offen repeated elsewhere in the country.

Machines are indeed taking over.

More in Phoenix

I heard on the radio this morning that either 10 new cameras are coming online in Phoenix or maybe it was that more were added totaling ten now.

As soon as I get my status up, I will download the latest file and do an update.

In the mean time, here are the locations.

35th Ave @ Dunlap
40th St @ Pecos
16th St @ Jefferson
51st Ave @ Van Buren

15th Ave @ Missouri

53rd Ave @ Indian School Road

12th St @ Camelback

67th Ave @ McDowell

40th St @ Broadway

7th St @ Union Hills

Highway Design Speeds

bramfrank wrote:

Now, the REAL question is whether the speed limits are set properly for the roads in question in the first place.

It is fact that speed limits set below the design speeds lead to increased accident rates.

If limits are set significantly below the design speed, then it's a straight cash grab from those who are foolish enough to drive the speed for which the road is designed.

Remember Montana!!

Generally speaking, posted speed limits are not set significantly lower than design speeds. The last highway I designed, the design speed was set only 5 mph higher than the posted speed limit.

--
Nuvi 2597 / Nuvi 2595 / Nuvi 680 / Nuvi 650 "Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."

Most are

bramfrank wrote:

If limits are set significantly below the design speed, then it's a straight cash grab from those who are foolish enough to drive the speed for which the road is designed.

I remember hearing many years ago that our interstate system was designed (in the late 1950's) for travel at 85mph, using automotive technology of that time. There have been significant improvements to both road and vehicle technology since then, so it's reasonable to believe that on at least isolated parts of the interstate highway system where it is 20 miles or more between exits, like here in the west, that a safe and reasonable speed limit is a minimum of 85 mph...

I've seen a number of times when two lane roads with 55mph limits have been improved to divided 4 lane road with fewer visual obstructions and fewer or lowered grades and the speed limit drops to 40 or 45mph.

That makes NO sense!

Of course most people think they are better than average drivers, which by definition is impossible...

So, we end up with cars that can travel much faster, safely, on roads that can also safely handle the higher speeds, but drivers that seem to be more incompetent by the day, even though they THINK they are better drivers...

In my opinion the speed limits are often too low, but I'm not in total agreement that its just a straight cash grab. Especially after reading some of the posts in the RLC/SC threads on this site.

--
Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195
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