Jeff's Commentary - 3/9/10 - Photo Radar

"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe."
--Dr. McCoy on Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

I commute daily on Tatum south from Shea to Camelback...and each day it's the same thing. The speed limit turns to 40mph and you can count on 1-2 photo radar sites between these streets. You can tell the regulars who just get in the right lane and go 42-45 mph...they let the knuckleheads pull Star Trek maneuvers and use light speed to pass you until they see the photo radar and then need their titanium brakes to get 50 mph so the flashing bulbs don't go off. But once by the radar, they accelerate to warp speed again.

I drive on the SR-51 quite a bit. Heading north, there are now signs that say upcoming speed cameras are ahead. The natural flow of traffic is about 68 mph and suddenly you'll get one or two panic cars that get cement in their shoes and slow down under 55 in this 65 zone.

This becomes a worse hazard for the rest of us than normal traffic flow as everybody else then slams their brakes to avoid mass pileups from the "scallywags" driving 55 or less. Going south SR-51, you hit two photo radar vans. Both have signs alerting you to the upcoming cameras. Again, you have to be a moron not to see the signs and an idiot if you don't slow down. Speeds of 60 mph suddenly go down under 50 and it becomes a danger zone of zigzagging drivers trying to avoid the line of slamming red brake lights.

So should photo radar go the way of the dinosaur?

My opinion is that if the county has to put out signs that alert you to every photo radar location, why bother? The photo radar vans in my commute do nothing more than make driving more dangerous than a NASCAR outing. If the goal is to reduce speed, it’s not working. Drivers either slow for the moment then zoom ahead or they simply get a ticket that often never gets paid. The system is not working…and it’s becoming more dangerous. Not to mention that by slowing quickly and accelerating we are probably putting more carbon pollutants in the air anyway. Dr. McCoy was right that the bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in Arizona.

Jeff