Hobbs vetoes bill that sought to ban photo radar on Valley roads

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a Republican bill last week that sought to ban the use of photo enforcement systems on state roads.

“Research indicates that photo radar cameras demonstrate effectiveness in changing driver behavior and decreasing fatal accidents, especially in vulnerable areas like school zones,” Hobbs said in her veto letter on Friday.

“This bill’s ban of photo radar would eliminate an important tool for law enforcement for a more efficient allocation of limited police resources.”

SB 1234, sponsored by Sen. Wendy Rogers, aimed to scrap the use of photo radars, with Rogers claiming the use of technology to enforce traffic laws is a privacy violation. She also believed the tactic is used to generate money for city governments.

Rogers said that police officers, troopers and deputies are the ones that consider all factors for drivers, such as weather conditions, sobriety, flow of traffic and criminal activity, and that it is their responsibility to oversee the enforcement of traffic safety laws.

“This traffic citation scam enables third-party companies to exploit Arizona drivers, a scheme never contemplated under state law,” Rogers said in a press release.

“These surveillance systems ignore the root causes of safety concerns on our roads. They do little to eliminate immediate threats like drunk drivers, reckless drivers or speeders.”

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