Time Magazine – “Big Brother Backlash”

The CameraFRAUD meetup group was mentioned in this piece by Time Magazine’s “Moneyland.”

With bills like SCR 1029 making their way through state legislatures in Arizona, Iowa, Colorado and Florida to name a few in 2012, the citizen backlash is being felt by politicians everywhere on the state level.

The question is, are they listening?

Read entire article at moneyland.time.com.

Peoria Speed Traps Confuse Drivers

From PhotoRadarScam.com

Dubious Traffic Engineering and Politics Predominate Over Public Safety on Arizona Roadways

People place blind trust that the governments responsible for determining speed limits are qualified and have conducted a proper analysis to arrive at the correct number. Many firmly believe that driving even just a little above the posted limit can be indeed be extremely dangerous. But this new video on Youtube shows that posted speed limits we see are sometimes nothing more than the result of a political whim, as in the city of Peoria, AZ the limits are established by ordinances that are established by the city council. Although difficult to see, the video shows a roadway in North Peoria, the stretch of Pinnacle Peak between 83rd Ave & 91st Ave where speed limits are set for 30mph going Westbound, but 45 going eastbound. There is no discernible difference in each side of the road (low density residential with no schools or school crossing), and the road is one lane in each direction. What could the engineering justification possibly be to call for a 15mph difference in speed limits based only on what direction you’re going? The only reasonable answer is that the city wants to create a speed trap.

The video also shows another location just south of Happy Valley Road on 91st Ave. As you approach the 3-way intersection, the last 1/8 of a mile drops from 40mph to 30mph. When you turn from Happy Valley onto 91st Ave southbound, you can go 45mph for the 1st 1/8th mile, then the limit drops to 30mph for about 3/8 of a mile, then raises up to a standard 40mph limit. Again, there are no schools and no discernible changes in road design or neighborhoods over these distances. These limits are nothing more than a speed trap, and nothing more than city officials screwing with drivers.

What’s interesting is how all of this sharply contrasts with information published by ADOT about speed limits:

[Since most citizens can be relied upon to behave in a reasonable manner as they go about their daily activities, many of our laws reflect observations of the way reasonable people behave under most circumstances. Traffic regulations are invariably based upon observations of the behavior of groups of travelers under various conditions.

[Generally speaking, traffic laws that reflect the behavior of the majority of vehicle operators are found to be successful, while laws that arbitrarily restrict the majority of drivers encourage wholesale violations, lack public support, and usually fail to bring about desirable changes in driving behavior. This is especially true of speed zoning.]

ADOT continues to explain that reducing speed limits will NOT change traffic speeds and will not change accident frequency and that there is no “direct relationship between posted speed limits and accident frequency” and that, “speed in itself is not a major cause of accidents.” ADOT then proceeds to identify such locations as those described in North Peoria as a speed trap:

[It is accepted within the traffic engineering profession that there is a demonstrated need to produce as much uniformity as possible in the traffic flow and to eliminate the so-called speed trap. A speed trap may be defined as a street or road which is wide enough, straight and smooth enough, and sufficiently free of visibility limiting obstructions to permit driving a certain speed, but where the law nevertheless calls for a much lower speed.]

According to ADOT, “Speed zoning in Arizona is based on the widely accepted principle of setting speed limits as near as practicable to the speed at or below which 85 percent of the drivers are traveling.” But after spending a few minutes on the side of the road at either of these locations one can clearly see that the 85th percentile speed is closer to 40 or 45mph (common on Phoenix-area arterial roads) than the 30mph displayed on the speed limit signs.

So why is the city of Peoria so careless about road safety? There are only a few possible answers:

1. Arrogant and/or incompetent city council who either believes they are qualified traffic engineers or that they know more than traffic engineers.

2. They have allowed incompetent city traffic engineers to remain employed.

3. They are more interested in revenue generation from speed traps than safety.

For clues to the answer, we can look to other city council decisions. Over 3 years ago, Peoria started a pilot red light camera program at 4 intersections. The results were disastrous, leading to over a 100% increase in accidents. But for some reason (read: $$$), the city decided to renew and extend the “pilot” program multiple times (guess they don’t understand what you’re supposed to do when a pilot program fails). Finally after 3 years and continued disastrous results, the city reluctantly ended the dangerous cash cow red light camera program after being unable to justify the program under the guise of safety any longer.

But the city of Peoria isn’t alone in the world of dubious traffic engineering. Take the new stretch of 303 West of I-17 for example. This is brand new freeway, 2 lanes in each direction separated by a significant distance. This stretch has very few on and off ramps, and very little traffic. Yet the speed limit is only 55mph! Contrast this to the 101 freeway which has a great deal of traffic and is usually crowded, on and off ramps every 1 mile, and the limit is 10mph faster. I don’t think you have to be an engineer to know that the new stretch of 303 freeway is every bit as safe as the 101, if not safer. So why the lower limits?

Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 28-702 allows the establishment of speed limits on the State Highway System “upon the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation.” The MUTCD also requires a traffic engineering study. So where is this engineering and traffic investigation that found a speed limit of 55mph to be appropriate on the 303 but not on the 101?

State and local governments have become lazy, arrogant, and exploitative. They have forgotten that their purpose is to serve the people and do what’s in the best interest for the public rather than the government. ADOT’s own literature contradicts their actions and appears to violate state law. This isn’t about safety. It’s about what it’s always about: power and money.

Motorists in Texas Can Take it Off! (License Plates)

Courtesy of WarOnDriving.com:

Texas Gaffe Means No License Plate = No Problem

Every motorist in Texas is now exempt from photo tickets from speed cameras, red light cameras and toll road enforcement cameras, starting January 1st, 2012.Texas legislature left a key provision out of the latest version of their Transportation Omnibus Bill that penalizes drivers for not visibly displaying a license plate on their vehicle, reports TheNewspaper.com. [BILL]

Once this bill becomes law, it cannot be changed for two years because Texas Legislature only convenes every other year.

[READ MORE]

More Signal Timing Fraud on the Way in Chandler

Redflex Traffic Systems, whose red light and speed camera ticketing programs have been marred by massive technical failures, increased accidents and fraud, now say that their latest technology can predict what drivers are going to do.

If that’s the case, maybe they can decide who should be issued a driver license as well.

A fervently pro-Redflex publication out of Phoenix, AZ, The Arizona Republic, whose editor has bounced between positions at that newspaper and Redflex is cheerleading this new “break through.”

Quoted from the article about this technology being tested live during rush hour in Chandler, AZ:

The upcoming Redflex Traffic Systems technology would sense when a car is traveling too fast to stop at the red light, and it would hold cars coming from the other directions until the red light runner has passed, police said.

[READ MORE]

Redflex Out of Albuquerque After Council Vote

Courtesy of WarOnDriving.com

Redflex Traffic Systems will say goodbye to Albuquerque in 60 days. Last night, the city council, headed by the efforts of Councilor Dan Lewis, voted to uphold the will of the people and get rid of the city’s red light cameras.

Also gone will be the Redflex “Scamera” vans that take up space on the side of the road and have been known to burst into flames due to over heated electronics.

This decision comes on the heels of an advisory vote by the citizens of Albuquerque last month that favored ending the program.

KQRE has more on this development:

WarOnDriving.com: AZ: Peoria Shuts Off Red Light Cameras, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley Next?

Arizona cities are dropping their so-called “photo enforcement” traffic cameras in a flurry in 2011.

The latest is Peoria, where camera intersections such as 83rd Ave and Thunderbird (above picture) saw tremendous increases in accidents. City officials are now claiming that overall there was a 29% increase over the three year life span of the program, but much larger increases (300-500%) were recorded initially.

[read more]

American Traffic Solutions, Redflex Double-Down On Fraud

A Redflex employee hard at work in the company's North Phoenix processing office. (All tickets are reviewed by multiple "Homers," a derogatory phrase used by corporate managers to refer to the paper processors who usually make little money.)

Ticketing and surveillance giants Redflex and American Traffic Solutions are doubling down on their favorite methods of revenue generation: fraudulent business practices, blatant incompetency, and lawsuits.

Sioux Falls Fail

Beleaguered Redflex is so incompetent that the company mailed out 500 red light camera tickets… to people accused by the machines of speeding:

Michael Evans got the surprise in the mail that no one wants, a ticket for running a red light in Sioux City.

When he looked at the video of his offense he was confused to say the least, because his pickup is clearly on the interstate.

He alerted the police about the mistake, and they sent out a letter of apology to about 500 people who also received the wrong type of ticket, but along with the apology came new tickets for speeding violations.

Town dunce and Sioux City Police’s Cpt. Melvin William was quick to defend the “theft-by-shiny-badge” scheme, presumably at the request of his new private-camera-contractor overlords:

“Because in one spot we didn’t change the wording that the whole thing should be thrown out?  No…There is no error when it comes to the fines that were imposed.  They were the right fines for what had occurred.  There is no error when it comes to the evidence,”

…Except for the whole “accusing 500 people of the wrong crime” thing.

American Traffic Solutions: “Circle Jerk” Lawsuits In Houston

Taking the “American way of justice” further down the shitcan is American Traffic Solutions in Houston. ATS is angry that citizens voted the cameras out, so the company is blatantly engaging in frivolous lawsuits in an effort to block the will of the “voters:”

The ruling was a major victory for the legal strategy of ATS General Counsel George Hittner, who worked with the Houston city attorney to create a lawsuit in which city officials, who want the cameras back, sued ATS, which also wants the cameras back. The case was not filed in state court, which would be the proper venue. Instead, Hittner had the case filed in the federal courthouse where his father happens to serve.

Still voting?

Redflex Mail Fraud In Spokane

“…Spokane County Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque ruled three tickets issued in Spokane using cameras to detect those running red lights were invalid because the electronic signature on the tickets was generated out of state.”

…Phony signatures. Phony tickets. Phony corporate cops that defend revenue schemes instead of constituents’ life and property.  Phony lawsuits. Laws and due-process ignored.

Happy Phony Forth of July from CameraFRAUD. Because the USA is where your ability to serve as a milking cow to the state and its corporate allies is patriotic job number one. Now get back to work, slave!

Supreme Court Decisions Reaffirms 6th Amendment Applies to Photo Enforcement

The Supreme Court has reaffirmed what Camera Fraud has been saying all along – photo enforcement is unconstitutional! Although there are several ways in which photo enforcement is unconstitutional, in Thursday’s ruling in Bullcoming v. New Mexico the highest court in the land found that a defendant has a right to confront their accuser. The court case was with regard to a DUI offense, but the ruling has broad applications. In the case, the lab technician who analyzed the Bullcoming’s blood sample for alcohol content was not available to testify in court, so the state found a surrogate to testify as to the lab results, procedures and methodology This is the SAME THING that happens in photo enforcement hearings on a daily basis. If applied to photo enforcement, the state would have to provide or make available the machine operator and anyone who processed the evidence for the defense. The court ruled that it is not sufficient to provide a knowledgeable representative to testify about facts in a report that he did not generate.

Unfortunately, this ruling alone will do little to stop photo enforcement, as photo enforcement hearings are done as civil trials, rather than criminal. As such, the rules are different and the state must only show a preponderance of evidence rather than prove their case as they would do if you received a moving violation from a real officer. States are able to get away with this scam because of the lower burden of evidence. This is of course the answer the question we have been forever asking, “Why is a ticket from a machine treated differently than an officer-issued ticket?” The answer is the same as it’s always been: MONEY.

Read more at The Examiner and TheNewspaper.com

Will Redflex Begin Seizing Vehicles in Albuquerque Next?

Earlier this week, news came out that Redflex and Las Cruces, NM PD will begin stealing cars as ransom for red light camera fines. The excuse they’re using is that there are too many unpaid tickets and now they’re losing money.

<read more>

Denver Motorists Learn Not to Pay Speed or Red Light Photo Tickets

KDVR Fox 31 in Denver has uncovered that under Colorado law, photo tickets issued by BOTH speed and red light cameras are legally void unless served in person.

[read more]