The city of Tempe is launching photo enforcement at high-risk intersections across the community to change driver behavior and make streets safer for everyone.   

Tempe is committed to safety on the road, which is why cameras have been installed at several intersections and will soon begin issuing traffic tickets to those who are caught speeding and running red lights, a city release explained. 

Mayor Corey Woods said in the release that data shows that cameras effectively reduce crashes and serious injuries worldwide.

“Tempe residents deserve to feel safe on our roads, whether they walk, drive or bike to get where they need to go, and this program will help ensure that they can do so safely,” Woods said.  

Studies show the technology works, the release noted. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, they can reduce crashes by more than 50%. 

Locally, a study from Lee Engineering (commissioned by the city of Scottsdale) found that speed-related crashes fell by 65% at Scottsdale’s intersections with photo enforcement cameras. Overall, collisions dropped by about 23%.  

Cameras have been installed at 14 intersections throughout Tempe. There are also four mobile units. 

The cameras will begin capturing images on May 7. After a 30-day warning period, traffic tickets will be issued for all violations. Beginning June 5, any vehicle captured speeding or running a red light will receive a civil citation with a fine of $250. 

If a red light is run while speeding, that is a second citation. Criminal charges could apply for excessive speeds, the release noted.  A member of the Tempe Police Department will verify each violation before a complaint is issued.   

The city of Tempe used safety data to determine where photo enforcement cameras are located. Criteria used included:

• Only major arterial-to-arterial intersections with signals were considered. 
• Intersections that showed at least three serious or fatal crashes between 2018 and 2022. 
• Intersections with the highest crash rates per 10,000 vehicles. 
• Intersections with the greatest disparity between posted speed limits and documented speeds of most vehicles travelling through (the 85% metric).

The city of Tempe has contracted with Mesa-based Verra Mobility, a leader in speed safety technology, to administer this program.

In 2023, Verra Mobility’s programs captured 11.6 million speed citations and 4.6 million red-light citations across the U.S., the release stated. The speed cameras resulted in a 62% reduction in recidivism, while the red-light cameras resulted in an 84% reduction in recidivism rate, meaning most drivers did not receive a second citation.  

This program is a part of Tempe’s Vision Zero initiative, a data-driven traffic safety policy that takes an ethical approach towards achieving safety for all road users. The goal is to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury crashes to zero in Tempe, because everyone deserves to get home safely, the release stated.

Learn more here.