I urge you to oppose SCR1004 when it comes before the Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology Committee on Tuesday. This resolution, sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, would ask Arizona voters to ban photo radar statewide, eliminating a proven traffic safety tool that has protected drivers since 1987.
Numerous studies demonstrate that speed and red-light cameras reduce traffic crashes and injuries by up to 35 percent. These are not abstract statistics. They represent real Arizona families who avoid devastating collisions, children who make it home safely from school, and emergency responders who face fewer preventable accidents. Photo radar works precisely because it changes driver behavior at high-risk intersections and speed zones where enforcement saves lives.
Arizona has relied on this technology for nearly four decades because it addresses a fundamental challenge: we cannot station officers at every dangerous intersection. Automated enforcement fills critical gaps in traffic safety infrastructure, particularly in areas with documented crash histories. Former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer has made a compelling case for expanding, not eliminating, red-light camera programs based on their measurable safety benefits.
While nobody enjoys receiving a traffic citation, the alternative to photo radar is not freedom but rather more dangerous roads and increased collision rates. Drivers still have the choice to obey speed limits and traffic signals. What they should not have is the choice to endanger others without consequence simply because human enforcement cannot be everywhere at once.
This measure bypasses the normal legislative process and Governor Hobbs's veto authority by going directly to the ballot. Before advancing SCR1004, I ask that you consider whether eliminating a tool that reduces crashes by up to 35 percent serves the safety interests of Arizona constituents. The evidence is clear: photo radar saves lives. I respectfully request you vote no in committee on Tuesday.
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