In a letter to the Arizona State House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Advocates has outlined opposition to Senate Bill (SB) 1019 and Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 1002. SB 1019 prohibits the use of automated enforcement (AE) systems, an effective technology to deter speeding and red light running, and SCR 1002 seeks to do the same through a referendum.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 1,315 people lost their lives on Arizona roads in 2023, a 70 percent increase since 2014.
Speeding is one of the most common contributing factors to crashes and fatalities including 29 percent of all fatal crashes nationally in 2022. Speeding is even more prevalent and destructive in Arizona; in 2022, 33 percent of all fatal crashes in the state were speeding related and ended 431 lives.
Speed safety cameras are proven to deter speeding and its impact and are recommended for state and local adoption by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA), among others. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that speed safety cameras alone resulted in a 19 percent reduction in the likelihood that a crash caused a fatal or incapacitating injury. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) found that AE reduces fatalities and injuries by 20-37 percent and is particularly effective in school and construction zones. Repealing use of speed safety cameras will nullify an essential tool, elevating risk for all road users.
Read the full letter here. Advocates previously sent a letter of opposition to leaders in the Arizona Senate, which can be viewed here.