Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

Smile, you're on camera

102407-red_light
I GOT MY EYE ON YOU: A photo radar machine keeps an eye out for speeders at Rural Road and Sixth Street Tuesday.

Watch your speed the next time you're driving down Rural Road.

The Tempe Police Department is installing new red light and fixed speed cameras around the city — including one at Sixth Street and Rural Road near campus that will begin operating in November, according to police officials.

The seven new red light cameras and two new speed cameras will begin to operate starting Nov. 1 and will remain in a warning period for 30 days, said Sgt. Mike Horn of Tempe police. Actual speed enforcement will not begin until Dec. 1, he said.

Tempe police and traffic engineering officials looked at different areas around Tempe where there have been consistent problems with red light running and speeding before installing the cameras, he said.

"The bottom line is we're working to put some mechanisms in place to reduce the number of accidents," Horn said.

Horn said most accidents are a result of speeding or running red lights and not yielding.

The citizens of Tempe have expressed their concern in community meetings on a regular basis that they want photo enforcement to help make the streets safer, Horn added.

"We hope that with the speed and red light cameras that this will assist in making Tempe a safer place to drive and that people will make better decisions as they drive in and through Tempe," Horn said.

Undeclared freshman Angela Vigilante said she thinks the cameras are going to make the streets safer.

"As far as I know, you really don't need to be speeding in those areas because it just causes accidents," Vigilante said. "It's only been a matter of time before they put the cameras there since they're all over the place."

Biomedical engineering freshman Kevin Crowley said he thinks the cameras are a good idea and will be preventative at the busy intersection of Rural Road and University Drive.

"Since it's right before University it will slow everybody down before they get to the intersection," Crowley said. "It will definitely prevent accidents."

Not all students believe the cameras are a good idea.

Jason Baldwin, an architecture freshman, said he doesn't trust the cameras.

"I don't care if cops catch us with their radar on the side of the road, but I don't think it's fair for them to set up a machine to catch our speed because the person that runs the law isn't actually there to see it with their own eyes," he said. "They're relying on the picture as evidence. "

Reach the reporter at heather.m.turner@asu.edu.


Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

Subscribe to Pressing Matters



×

Notice

This website uses cookies to make your experience better and easier. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.