Photo Radar

[Arizona_928]

I'm thinking about the photo radar cameras here in Arizona, and how can they ticket someone without due process or any of the other rights we have?
It just seems to be getting ridiculous because over thanksgiving i saw at least 10 sets of camera's and a couple of the vans..

[trekkor]

It's just a matter of time before you will start receiving e-mails/texts when you speed and are tracked via gps monitoring from your personal devices.


KT

[LeeH]

I must not get out much. We drove to Las Vegas via Blythe for Thanksgiving... holy cow, those cameras are everywhere now. Now I know what they've been doing when they have the roads shut down over the weekends.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The roadside smog-checkers (with cameras) are in testing right now in CA too.

I believe that photo radar is illegal in CA (one of the very, very few times that this state is leading the way on the side of the citizen against Big Brother versus other states) but not to worry, they'll figure out a way to make the average "ADPV" (Annual Dollars Per Vehicle) generated spike up in 2009-2010. I'm sure they're hard at work on it right now.

[slodave]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

The roadside smog-checkers (with cameras) are in testing right now in CA too.

I believe that photo radar is illegal in CA (one of the very, very few times that this state is leading the way on the side of the citizen against Big Brother versus other states) but not to worry, they'll figure out a way to make the average "ADPV" (Annual Dollars Per Vehicle) generated spike up in 2009-2010. I'm sure they're hard at work on it right now.

Photo radar is illegal in Ca. San Jose (I believe) tested Ca. legislature on this a few years ago and lost. They had installed the cameras, issued fines, then SCofCal made them give all the money back .

Only one agency actively uses photo radar - for stop signs and he is a ____!!! Yes Joe Edmiston of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, you! You are not above the law!!!

[Jim Bremner]

we're frogs in a heated pan of water.

When did it change from "Government of the people for the people"

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

The roadside smog-checkers (with cameras) are in testing right now in CA too.

wow, and I would think they're too many variables for that....

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Supposedly the way it's going to work is if you trip the smog threshold sensor your plate is photoed and you get a notice in the mail requiring you to bring your vehicle in for additional smog checking (I'm sure you'll have to pay the $60 fee for this also).

While I'm all for nailing the really flagrant, grossly polluting POS vehicles on our roads, this is undoubtedly a revenue-inspired initiative rather than any sort of serious air quality initiative. A lot of the worst polluting vehicles I see are able to skirt the law by being registered in Mexico, BTW. Just a little point of note...

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

we're frogs in a heated pan of water.

When did it change from "Government of the people for the people"

Frogs don't own AK-47s.

I do.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Frogs don't own AK-47s.

I do.

Should the roadside cameras be shuddering?

[RoninLB]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

I'm thinking about the photo radar cameras here in Arizona, and how can they ticket someone without due process or any of the other rights we have?
a couple of the vans..

plead not guilty and tell your lawyer you want to face your accuser in court. If the picture ticket sticks pay with a photo of $$$.

Most likely it gets dismissed as in NY [I think].

[Tobra]

or they will send you a photo of handcuffs and your warrant

[masraum]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

I'm thinking about the photo radar cameras here in Arizona, and how can they ticket someone without due process or any of the other rights we have?
It just seems to be getting ridiculous because over thanksgiving i saw at least 10 sets of camera's and a couple of the vans..

I can't tell you about AZ, but I suspect it's similar to TX. My daughter got a red-light ticket in a car that was registered to me for turning right on red without stopping completely.

The ticket was part of a "safety" program, and the fine was not criminal, but was civil. I called because I didn't want my name on the ticket, but wanted the name changed to her. They told me that there wouldn't be anything (points, infraction, etc...) against my name. I was told that they couldn't/wouldn't change the name, but that it didn't matter anyway.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by RoninLB

plead not guilty and tell your lawyer you want to face your accuser in court. If the picture ticket sticks pay with a photo of $$$.

Most likely it gets dismissed as in NY [I think].

As was posted, (if it's anything like the red-light cameras they USED to have here), you'll never have the opportunity. It will be a "civil fine", and there really is no practical avenue for due process in the "revenue scheme". I received a red light ticket years ago, and simply ignored the repeated requests for payment for a few years. I haven't heard from them in a while, and didn't have any negative consequences. Our red light cameras were removed after a few years after the courts ruled the proper amount of revenue wasn't being directed to the school systems as required by law. Suddenly, the cities couldn't afford them anymore and the "bogus" safety aspect was no longer touted...imagine that?

[Rick Lee]

The only way to avoid them is to defeat them. The new Escort 9500xi has a GPS feature that allows you to program where the cameras are and will chirp when you approach one. The speed cameras don't use radar, but rather ground sensors or some kind of vascar. So your normal RD won't pick them up. I'm thinking of putting up a strip of aluminum foil on my windshield. I saw a thing about Lindsay Lohan doing that and it ruined a lot of paparazzis' photos while she was driving away. In AZ they need a clear photo of the driver's face and rear plate. So I also need to get the last two characters on my plate obscured somehow. The kicker is that on a lot of the roads around here, the ground sensors are in three of the four highway lanes. So you could get a ticket if the camera gets you, even if someone else tripped it unless you were in the lane with no sensor in it. I've heard there's not much of a court for these and you're basically guilty until proven innocent.

[Rick Lee]

Also, here you can make the ticket go away for good if you can dodge the process server for 120 days.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Trapster.com is a decent thing to check also when planning going on an unfamiliar route.

Does anyone remember the "good old days" when government actually WASN'T the enemy and didn't actually hate the citizenry? Ahh, yesteryear.

[rattlsnak]

You dont get a 'ticket' in AZ. You get a fine. It does not go to the DMV or in anyway affect your driving record or points on your license. It's sent to the owners address regardless of who was driving it when they got nabbed.

Ask my sister how I know......

[KNS]

Arizona did have smog cameras that took a picture of your plate about ten years ago - I know, I got a lovely notice in the mail once. I was informed that I would have to go to an emissions station to get tested. I did as I was told and my car passed through nice and clean. A Honda at that (how dare them). Not Happy! They would park the photo van right at the freeway on-ramp. I don't know what happened to the vans but I would not be surprised to see them make a return.

[crustychief]

If I recall correctly the smog vans use an infrared sensor and "look" for a catalytic converter, since they use upwards of 700 degrees Fahrenheit to cook the exhaust cleaner. It makes sense they would sit at an on-ramp, especially a metered one.