NCJ Number
231863
Journal
THE POLICE CHIEF Volume: 77 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2010 Pages: 46,49,50,52
Date Published
July 2010
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines the use of automated speed enforcement on Arizona's State highways.
Abstract
In 2006, an automated speed enforcement demonstration project was instituted in Scottsdale, AZ. Due to its success the project was significantly expanded to other parts of the State. This article examines the success of the original project, which showed an 11.5 percent decrease in crashes compared to the same time period the previous year, and looks at reasons for the overall decrease in crashes between 2005 and 2009. Since the initial test project in 2006, Arizona has implemented a statewide speed photo enforcement system with both fixed sites and mobile photo enforcement vehicles. With the implementation of this program, fatal traffic crashes in Arizona have decreased substantially. Several factors that may account for this decrease are examined. These factors include engineering improvements to roadways and decreases in traffic volumes due to completion of major highway construction projects, in addition to the implementation of speed photo enforcement. These factors are examined in greater detail in the article. Results from the analysis indicate that speed photo enforcement may be only one of several factors that have contributed to the decrease in fatal traffic crashes in Arizona. 3 tables, 4 figures, and 16 notes