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Speed safety and red light cameras are proven lifesavers – Preserve use in Arizona
Vote NO on Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 1004
The Issue:
- Traffic crashes are a deadly and costly threat to Arizona families that require urgent attention and action.
- In 2024, there were an overall estimated 1,250 traffic fatalities in Arizona according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is a 39 percent increase since 2015.
- Speeding is major factor leading to traffic fatalities, contributing to 34 percent (417) of traffic fatalities in the state in 2024 according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and speeding related fatalities in Arizona increased 39 percent from 2015 to 2024.
- In 2023, 1,086 people were killed and more than 135,000 were injured in red light running crashes in the United States. In fact, 25 percent of drivers admit to running a red light in the past 30 days even though 83 percent of Americans believe that doing so is “very” or “extremely” dangerous.
- In 2019, the estimated cost of traffic crashes in Arizona surpassed $5.9 billion, effectively imposing a $817 “crash tax” on all Arizona residents. When updated for inflation alone, in 2025, costs would equate to $7.5 billion.
The Solution:
- Speed safety cameras are verified to deter speeding and its impact and are recommended for adoption by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), among others.
- Most states, including nearby California, Colorado and Utah, have state enabling legislation to permit speed safety cameras while New Mexico has speed safety cameras in use through local ordinances.
- Law enforcement officers risk their lives when performing their duties on the roadways every day, and it is implausible for them to be everywhere for every violation. Speed safety cameras augment traditional enforcement without requiring a traffic stop.
- Small increases in speed cause serious declines in safety. Crash tests show that speed upticks of even five to ten miles-perhour (mph) greatly escalate a driver’s risk of injury or death.
- Speed increases immensely impact pedestrians and other vulnerable road users (VRUs). The average risk of death for a pedestrian is 10 percent at an impact speed of 23 mph, 25 percent at 32 mph, and 50 percent at 42 mph.
- 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.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) found that speed safety cameras reduce fatalities and injuries by 20-37 percent and is particularly effective in school and construction zones.
- 23 states, including nearby California, Colorado and New Mexico, permit red light safety cameras.
- IIHS found that rates of fatal red light running crashes were 21 percent lower and all fatal crashes were 14 percent lower at signalized intersections in cities with red light camera programs. Conversely, cities that took down their red light safety cameras experienced a 30 percent increase in deadly red light running crashes and a 16 percent increase in fatal crashes at signalized intersections overall.
Preserving Use of Speed Safety Cameras and Red Light Cameras Will Protect Arizonans and Keep
Families Whole—Vote NO on SCR 1004!