FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 26, 2023
Hobbs Misses Opportunity to Protect Arizona Drivers by Vetoing
Proposed Ban on Photo Radar Enforcement
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Photo radar cameras violate the privacy of Arizona's unsuspecting drivers. They're cash-cows for not only cities and towns, but for the companies that operate them, as well as for the campaigns of elected officials. These systems take harsh advantage of our state's motor vehicle drivers. Now, Senator Wendy Rogers is speaking out after a bill she sponsored to ban these systems was vetoed today by the Governor.
SB 1234 (prohibition; photo radar) would have prohibited non-human photo enforcement systems to identify drivers who are speeding, running red lights or failing to obey other traffic control measures. This bill rightfully would have upheld the enforcement of traffic laws to human police officers, troopers and deputies. It is they who consider all factors, including valid driver's license, valid insurance, flow of traffic, safety of the vehicle, weather conditions, sobriety, criminal activity, and other elements that influence a person's driving behaviors.
"Cities and towns use the photo radar scheme to collect millions of dollars from unwitting statewide drivers, each year. This traffic citation scam enables third-party companies to exploit Arizona drivers, a scheme never contemplated under state law," said Senator Rogers. "These surveillance systems ignore the root causes of safety concerns on our roads. They do little to eliminate immediate threats like drunk drivers, reckless drivers or speeders. Instead, photo radar cameras provide quick cash for the coffers of unelected municipal bureaucrats."
"Furthermore, photo radar incentivizes politicians to penalize our citizens with unfair fines because 10% of each citation goes directly to fund campaigns through the AZ Clean Elections program," said Senator Rogers. "To add insult to injury, every single motor vehicle driver who passes by a camera, whether they've violated the law or not, are being photographed and documented. This is an egregious invasion of our privacy. Hobbs' veto fails Arizonans. She will ultimately answer to our fleeced drivers who don’t support this years-long cash grab cloaked in the name of 'traffic enforcement.'"
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus
kquintero@azleg.gov