Red light cameras in Arnold, Missouri just took a hit that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year at one light alone. Fox 2 first reported Wednesday about a new MoDOT program to re-time of its Missouri lights.

MoDO is re-timing traffic lights everywhere, to give drivers more time to stop. The results so far, are incredible at the intersection of 141 and Astra Way. We compared a month of red light running before the new signal timing to a month after the change in the yellow light.

Last May, the City of Arnold cited 709 people for running a red light on camera at the 141 light. This May? Arnold cited only 17 drivers at the same light.

Now, consider the money side of this. Last May's citations add up to $67,000 in one month. This past May, citations, if paid, would only bring in $1,600.

That's a potential loss of more than 3/4 of a million dollars every year.

That loss is split between three parties who divide the money from each $95 violation ticket. More than half of that pie (57%) would go to the city, 10% percent to the State of Missouri and 1/3rd (33%) to the private red light camera contractor American Traffic Solutions (ATS).

Arnold Mayor Ron Counts said their share of the money goes into the general fund, which pays for things like streets. But he says this newly discovered potential loss -- is a price worth paying.

Mayor Counts said, "The truth is, it's not about money, it can't be. We've got to deal with the safety issue and to me when you can drop this down to 20 people running stop lights, I think that's what we really need to be looking at. We'll adjust the budget. We have to." He added, "It's going to affect your budget no matter how you look at it

He said Arnold's been discussing putting red light revenue strictly into safety measures anyway. He can't think of anything better than stopping red light runners.

Counts said, "What's a persons life worth? I don't think you can consider that."

The private red light camera contractor, ATS, said in an e-mail statement, "We're pleased the number of violations in Arnold continues to fall. An effective road safety program must always integrate engineering, education and enforcement." However ATS also warns ".. studies have shown that if the amber light is too long, drivers will disregard it and consider it part of the green light cycle."

MoDOT adds -- the drastic drop in red light runners may not last. Engineers warn that driver's could start pushing the new timing cycles. They also say that longer yellows slow down traffic.

Public sentiment for red light camera and speed camera use is overwhelmingly negative in the US.  Why? Because it lacks transparency about where the locations are and where the money goes. If the goal of using red light and speed cameras is to save lives and ensure compliance with safety measures.  Doesn't it seem logical that drivers and citizens should have access to this public information?   Drivers could be alerted to accident photo enforced locations and potentially hazardous areas.  Disclosure of locations is not about evading the law its about avoiding other idiot drivers.  As a taxpayer I would also like to know where the tax on bad drivers is going.  How about slush fund for schools who desperately need the revenue?

Car navigation systems have not integrated our data points into GPS vehicles thus far for two main reasons: locations change frequently and in some Countries such as Germany and Switzerland, it is illegal to have these locations in navigation systems.  We recommend that its time for law enforcement and city officials to be more transparent about their speed and red-light enforcement activities with the objective of building citizen support for the use of cameras for the enhanced safety of all.

Read more from Strategy Analytics: Red-Light, Speed Cameras: Damn Lies, Statistics Impede Progress. 

20 new red light cameras will continuously be recording video. The Ohio city already has 18 red ligth cameras installed throughout the city. They will take pictures of a red light runners and will have video to support the case. RedFlex is the company behind the camera operations and will be deploying the cameras throughout the city.  This should benefit other drivers around the city as well.  These photo enforced intersections commonly have fender bender accidents and the video monitoring the intersections can now be used as accident evidence.  This city claims the video will be used to monitor crime in the area but we don't this will have much impact.  PhotoEnforced.com commonly receives questions such as how to do we view accident videos from cameras?  Having video available will be great for the citizens of Columbus but companies like RedFlex will have to make it easy and transparent for drivers to access and use the video without a lot of bureaucracy and government paperwork. 

PhotoEnforced.com's crowdsourced database is the largest and most complete US database as we raise the awareness of our open platform to share information about red light cameras, right turn cameras, speed cameras or anything that is enforced using camera automation.  Our locations and fines database has been growing at a rate of 25% per year and last year we added near 2,000 new locations totaling 8000+ total:

• Red Light Cameras – 6500
• Speed Cameras – 371
• Illegal Right Turn Cameras – 119
• Combination Cameras - 381
• Both Red Light & Speed Cameras – 354
• Red Light & Illegal Right Turn Cameras - 19
• Red Light, Speed & Illegal Right Turn Cameras - 9

Our database has the first mover advantage having been founded back in 2001. Unfortunately, a number of entrepreneurs & corporations have tried to copy our data and used it to start their own POI data service. Our long term vision is to be the standard brand and source for photo enforced information and locations. Thanks to the community for your continued support!

Unfortunately, we are not the company or city that collects the ridiculous amount tickets revenue nor do we operate the camera locations.  However, before you pay your fine that ranges from $50-$500, we recommend reading one of our many blog posts about "Fighting Red Light Camera Tickets" to see if you qualify to fight the ticket. 

For some visitors who don't take the time to read "About Us", we often receive strange email questions since we own the domain Photo Enforced and visitors often mistake us for being "Big Brother".  Typically questions include:  Can look up and see if I received a ticket?  Or how do I pay for my ticket?   My answer is always you need to contact your local court house in the city where the violation may have occurred or go to one of the locations listed at the bottom. 

Which leads me to the question of customer service management for the municipalities running the programs. I think there needs to be a national destination web site for "customers" (aka individuals who have received tickets) to log into a central database and find out if they received a ticket and how to pay the fine. Guilty drivers do not want to wait two weeks to receive the notice and might even want to modify the physical mailing address tied to the vehicle to avoid employer or owner conflicts. I think the implementation of such as program would result in improved payment recovery for the cities.  

Here are some links to the various payment web sites for the camera operators and cities below.

RedFlex - Photo Notice
City of Frederick Ticket Viewer
City of San Bernardino
City of New York

This is a screen show of the welcome screen you will see on PhotoNotice.com.

Los Angeles might expand red-light camera program and add speed cameras. The plan would boost revenue, but city officials say it's safety-driven.

Published by LA Times By Rich Connell, February 3, 2010

Los Angeles' red-light traffic camera program, which officials report netted more than $6 million last year after expenses, could be significantly expanded under a new contract to be negotiated over the next 14 months, records and interviews show.

While adding more cameras could offer a welcome boost to city revenue in the midst of a fiscal crisis, officials say any expansion will be based on safety considerations.

No goal has been set, but internal City Hall discussions have included the possibility of adding cameras to blocks of eight intersections at a time and eventually doubling the overall reach of the program to 64 intersections, Los Angeles Police Department officials told The Times.

Fresh details of the discussions emerged as the Police Commission on Tuesday sent the City Council a recommendation to issue bid requests from vendors to operate -- and presumably enlarge -- the program starting next year.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for traffic cameras to be modified to also catch speeders, part of an effort to raise $300 million in fines to help close the state's budget shortfall. 


Los Angeles officials have voiced mixed reactions but taken no formal action on the proposal.

As for red-light cameras, critics contend that the safety benefits have been overstated and that the cameras chiefly are used to fatten government coffers. Those complaints have grown louder as red-light ticket fines have climbed sharply in recent years. They now total more than $500 in Los Angeles County when traffic school fees are included.

But LAPD officials and some experts say photo enforcement reduces potentially serious red-light-running accidents, changes driver behavior for the better and frees up patrol officers for other tasks.

And after struggling with construction delays and start-up and early operating expenses, Los Angeles' red-light cameras have begun producing a sorely needed revenue surplus at a time when city programs and payrolls are being slashed.

Beyond payments of about $2 million to the city's camera vendor and $1.2 million for Police Department costs, the city's 32 camera-equipped intersections generated $6.4 million in net revenue in 2009, said LAPD Sgt. Matthew MacWillie, who oversees the program. The LAPD issues about 3,600 photo enforcement tickets a month, records show.

The program's financial turnaround can be partially attributed to a decision 18 months ago to more than double fines for rolling right-turn violations, which MacWillie has acknowledged account for most violations caught by the cameras.

Previously, Los Angeles had been the only city in the county to charge right turn violations under a vehicle code section that carried a $156 fine. When the LAPD brought its ticketing practices in line with other agencies, right turn fines jumped to $381. The city's share of the fines grew from $58 to nearly $150.

At least one City Council member, Valley representative Dennis Zine, said pursuing bids to continue or expand the photo enforcement program is premature.

He said a detailed study of overall accident rates at photo-equipped intersections was still in the works. "I don't want to do anything until we get the results of that inquiry," he said.

Zine, a former LAPD traffic cop who sits on the council's Public Safety Committee, sought the analysis last year after a local television station reported that the city's red-light cameras haven't always reduced collisions. The LAPD's study is not expected to be completed for about a month.

But MacWillie said Tuesday that data show overall accidents, as well as red-light-running accidents, have declined at camera-equipped intersections.

Considered a key city expert on photo enforcement, MacWillie also said speed cameras can be a valuable traffic enforcement tool if properly focused on safety and altering driver behavior. Approximately 40 people die annually in speed-related accidents in the city, he said.

Zine said putting speed cameras at intersections is an "absurd idea" that would undermine the traditional focus of police officers on public safety.

The governor is "just saying this is a revenue producer," he said.

"With that in mind, why don't we just charge everyone $10 when they start their engine?"h

• Company history 2001-2010
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Columbia Missourian Article:  October, 27, 2009 - Red light camera laws differ from city to city and state to state in the U.S.   Below is a map of the states that use red light camera photo enforcement currently and example of just how complex and different laws can be in only one state Missouri. You can only imagine the complexity when trying to figure out what is "standard operating procedure" which is a question we get often. Hence, the primary problem we were trying to solve when we created the PhotoEnforced.com crowd sourcing database in 2001.

More than 17 Missouri cities operate red-light cameras, but the financing and enforcement of them does not operate uniformly. The two main differences that vary from city to city deal with the criteria for citations and the payment to the companies owning and operating the cameras.

For citations, some cities like Columbia require that there be a photo of the driver of the car and the car itself that runs a red light, while other cities like Kansas City just need photos of the car and license plate. When it comes to payments, the fine amount varies from city to city, as does the amount each company receives.

In Kansas City, American Traffic Solutions owns and operates the red-light cameras. The company receives $4,500 per month per camera from the city as long as the money raised exceeds that amount. Since implementation in January, American Traffic Solutions has invoiced Kansas City $520,000 from 37,726 violations for their 29 cameras, according to a Kansas City Public Works release.

St. Louis also uses American Traffic Solutions, and the company also owns and operates cameras there. In St. Louis, the company receives $31.33 for each $100 citation issued, according to Ron Smith, executive director for city operations. Since the cameras were installed in May 2007, the company has collected $3.1 million from 102,859 paid citations, Smith said.

While the payment process for Kansas City and St. Louis differ, the methods of data collection, installation and maintenance of the cameras are the same, Jason Norton, American Traffic Solutions' regional manager, said. For each city, temporary cameras are installed for eight to 24 hours in order for the company and city to study which intersections cause the most problems. From there, the company installs the cameras without charge to the cities.

In order to issue a citation, the company takes two photos — one before a vehicle enters an intersection and another in the intersection — as well as a 12-second video of the car. The video, Norton said, is to make sure there are no extenuating circumstances forcing a car into the intersection that aren't caught on the photos. After reviewing the information and enlarging the license plate in the photo, the information is sent to the licensing office and local police department for further review.

"The beauty of the system is that the camera is objective," Norton said. "No matter who you are, you get a ticket."

While the process is similar in Columbia, information given to the owner and city differs.

According to Gatso USA President and co-founder Andrew Noble, the company's cameras in Columbia are "unique" in what they offer to a city. Noble said his company's violation notices present the owner with photos of the driver and vehicle along with a 17-point data bar with information such as time the light has been red, time of day, date and how long the yellow light was.

Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, has said his biggest issue with red-light cameras deals with payments to the companies. Crowell said he has a problem with systems like those in place in St. Louis and Columbia, where a percentage of each ticket goes to the company. For Crowell, that leaves no other contingencies for other policing tools.

Noble said companies like his earn that money because they front the funds needed for initial installation and maintenance. According to him, each camera installed at an intersection costs Gatso USA $100,000, which comes at no cost to the city. American Traffic Solutions operates under a similar system where each camera can cost anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000 to create, install and maintain, Norton said.

The cameras are an asset for the cities, Smith said, because they promote safety.

In St. Louis, the red-light cameras have been a "good public safety initiative to make our intersections safer," Smith said, and data has already shown a marked improvement in the city when it comes to running red lights.

A similar sentiment is echoed by Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser.

"The idea is to prevent or reduce the number of accidents at intersections," he said, but also added that cameras have highlighted the massive amount of disregard for red lights that currently exists.

Funkhouser said that while there may be bugs in the system that need to be worked out, he is pleased with the results.

St. Louis nears $10 million in red light fines Belleville News-Democrat

Nearly 30 months (2.5 years) since red light cameras began operating in St. Louis, the city is closing in on $10 million in fines collected at $100 per ticket which is approximately 100,000 violations if I am doing the math correctly.  The population in St. Louis is approximately 991,830 according to public data sources which would give you a 10% chance of getting a red light camera ticket in the last 2.5 years.

KMOX Radio reports the city has collected $9.9 million in fines since the use of cameras began in May 2007. After paying the camera vendor its share the city's net gain has been $6.8 million. Opponents say red light cameras can cause as many accidents as they prevent. But city officials say the cameras pay off both in terms of safety and revenue Mayor Francis Slay's operations director, Ron Smith, says citations for some intersections are down 85 percent from two years ago as drivers have become aware of the cameras.  We count about 62 cameras that have been published on our map below St. Louis, Missouri Red Light Camera Map

City of St. Louis Red Light Camera Ticket Information

In the City of St. Louis, the fine is $100 for running a red light. To pay a ticket, you must mail payment or bring it in person to 1430 Olive Street, Room 100, St. Louis, MO 63103. Payment must be in the form of check or money order if you are mailing it. If you bring it in person, you may pay by cash, check, credit card or money order.

First Driver-to-Driver Network Answers the Question “What is The Driver Ahead of Me Experiencing?”


News Facts

• Aha Mobile, Inc., the company that keeps drivers informed about the world around them by safely connecting them to each other and to relevant information from the Web, has launched its first consumer experience - the Aha application for iPhone users.

• The company, which soft launched its application two weeks ago in Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area, has expanded road and traffic coverage in the following major metropolitan areas: Dallas and San Antonio, TX, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Miami Beach, FL, Seattle, WA, Washington D.C. The company will continue to add road and traffic coverage in more cities in the coming months.

• The free application is now available for download in the iTunes App Store.

• Aha’s application is the first driver-to-driver network that answers questions such as “What is the driver a mile ahead of me seeing out his window?” and “What is traffic like now on my route to work?”

• Aha’s application is designed for use at 65 MPH and gives you information, either audibly or in an at-a-glance format, about the roads and photo enforced camera locations nearby.

• It also connects drivers to personalized Web data about nearby services and destinations, such as restaurants, coffee shops and bathrooms.

• Aha is not a navigation application but is instead designed for daily use when you already know how to get to your destination.

Unique Product Features

• Get “Nearby” Alerts for Things You Care About: Are you hungry, want to grab a cup of coffee, or need to take a bathroom break? Select “yes” to any of those questions and Aha’s “Nearby” function alerts you to places along the way, like restrooms from SitOrSquat or highly rated restaurants from Yelp. Aha will also alert you to red-light and speed cameras as you approach them, using data from Photoenforced.com. At 65 MPH, less is more, so Aha only gives you the relevant results pre-filtered for your preferences and location.

• Listen to Live, Personalized Traffic Channels: Like a radio station dedicated to the roads you care about, Aha lets you listen to traffic “Shouts” (or voice notes) from other drivers without taking your eyes off the road. Aha also uses best-in-class INRIX traffic data to tell you how traffic is flowing and alert you to congestion or accidents on the major road segments around you, without requiring you to study a map.

• “Shout” Out Your Own Traffic Reports: With Aha, every driver is a virtual traffic reporter. Simply tap the microphone icon to record and share a 15-second traffic report to help the drivers around you. Your Shout automatically feeds into the road and city-specific Shout Rooms based on your current location.

• Be Entertained in the Car! Aha also wants to make driving fun. For example, the “Caraoke” Shout Room lets you send out a 15 second recording of your radio sing along, then get rated by other drivers. In the “#%& Drivers” Shout Room, let off steam by venting about a bad driver or your frustrating commute.
Executive Quotes

“Aha is uniquely delivering information that every driver wants in a new and better way that doesn’t involve studying tiny maps while you drive. Sometimes you want to hear a live traffic report from a driver ahead of you, and other times you want relevant information from the Web, like a nearby coffee shop,” said Robert Acker, President and CEO of Aha Mobile, Inc.

“Regardless of the source, Aha filters and customizes the information you want based on your preferences and location, presenting it in a format that limits driving distractions and helps you make smart choices along your familiar routes.”
User Quotes

“I frequently run into traffic in my patrol car, particularly on event days at the Del Mar fairgrounds,” said Aha beta tester and San Diego Deputy Sheriff Marshall Abbott. “Even with some state-of-the-art tools at my disposal, I turn to Aha for the latest conditions on the roads I drive daily. I use it to know when traffic is backed up a few miles ahead of me so I can decide if I should bail for another route. Aha’s at-a-glance information is a very efficient way to get me the information I need.”

“Every day when I get in the car, I run Aha to check the Los Angeles freeway traffic before I leave my driveway,” said Aha beta tester David Whelan. “It quickly gives me a good idea of which route to take to work - in typical LA fashion, I have many routes to choose from. Then, I flip into "Nearby" mode while I drive to get alerted to coffee shops and other places I want to know about along the way. I have found that Aha is far less distracting and more efficient way to get this information than the in-car navigation system in my BMW.”
Images, Assets and Product Demo Video

• Click here to view Aha’s quick product demo videos

• Click here for product and feature images

Blog: ahamobile.com/blog for more information and product updates
Twitter: @ahamobile
Twitter: @photoenforced
Facebook: Join Aha Mobile Fan group
Facebook: Join PhotoEnforced.com Fan group

About Aha Mobile, Inc.

Aha improves your driving experience by keeping you informed about the world around you while you are on the road. To do this, we built the first driver-to-driver network that connects drivers to each other and to relevant information from the Internet. You can record and share your own personal traffic reports to help those around you, or listen to a customized traffic channel on the roads you travel. Aha also alerts you to the nearby things you need – like a great cup of coffee or a restroom. With Aha, drivers share their experiences with one another and help each other on the road.

Founded in 2008, Aha began by building a connected back-end platform that can power any number of devices – from portable electronics to in-car systems. Through our first application, designed for the iPhone, we created a 65 MPH interface (information is delivered audibly or in at-a-glance visual formats) that gives drivers the answers they need while minimizing driving distractions.

Based in Palo Alto, CA, Aha is backed by Venrock and led by a team of executives with nearly four decades of experience developing automotive and location-based services applications.

We would like to alleviate some of the confusion in the marketplace. Navteq is NOT currently a customer of PhotoEnforced.com and we have no idea where they have acquired their data from.

However, PhotoEnforced.com has been the #1 sole source and pioneer of gathering red light camera and speed locations in a free open database since 2001. There are many databases in the market described above who copy our data and use this data and sell it. If you are considering licensing or using the NAVTEQ speed and red light camera locations database you might want to ask them the following questions first . . .

1) Why are you missing about a 1000+ locations?
2) What sources for acquiring the original 5000 locations?
3) Are your sources for the data stealing content?
4) Sources for updates on new locations and changes?
5) Proprietary research (?) when PhotoEnforced.com is free?
6) Any right turn and red light camera / speed combo cameras?
7) Why did it take you so many years to release a product?
8) Can you deliver updates to the locations in real time?
9) How do you charge for the database?
10) Publishing fines with the location be a copyright violation?

NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, announced today at Telematics Detroit 2009 speed and red light camera locations are now available for the NAVTEQ(R) map of North America. NAVTEQ Camera Alert(TM) includes up-to-date information about the exact location of speed limit cameras, red light cameras, as well as combined speed and red light cameras in 5,000 locations throughout North America.

"Automated cameras are proliferating across North American cities," stated Cindy Paulauskas, vice president Americas map and content products, NAVTEQ. "And our proprietary research indicates that these types of warnings are a highly valued feature in countries where this navigation system functionality is available. Providing our customers with quality North America camera location information helps enable solutions that give drivers better knowledge of maximum speeds and traffic signals - with alerts at the right place and at the right time."

See related posts:
Cobra Electronics Licensing Data to Navteq?
Red Light & Speed Cameras POI Database

We frequently receive emails from drivers who ask us if they will receive a ticket in a blizzard, rain storm or during poor weather conditions. These drivers usually plead that they couldn't stop safely before the intersection because of ice or water on the road. It is our understanding that police officers don't suspend red light cameras during bad weather, however, someone does review videos of each infraction and evaluates whether a ticket should be issued. Officers will take into consideration if the driver made a legitimate attempt to stop and didn't stop at the line.

If you think you may have received an unjustified ticket sometimes a successful defense some have used in court is the 'out of necessity' defense for running the red light. This defense basically brings the idea of a dangerous situation at hand. When you tried to come to a stop, your car began to slide on ice or water and you had no choice but to run the red light. You could go on to say that by going through the red light, it was actually safer to have done so as opposed to sliding uncontrollably into traffic, stopped vehicles or pedestrians. Pictures would go a long way here. It is recommended to drive back to the scene as soon as possible and return with a camera. Take pictures of the icy or wet road and anything else that could boost your stories credibility.

We would appreciate hearing stories from drivers below in the comments section of the blog who received a ticket during poor weather conditions and contested the ticket.

PhotoEnforced.com today added a new category of photo enforcement "Right Turn Cameras" to compliment our growing list of "red light cameras" and "speed cameras." As of today we have added 44 locations where illegal right turns are photo enforced from around the U.S. and will be adding many more as the data starts to trickle in from users.

We are starting to see a growing number of right turn cameras popping-up around the U.S. that use traditional red light camera technology to enforce illegal right turns. These new cameras are typically enforcing illegal right turns red or rolling right turns. Illegal rolling right turns are when a driver does not come to a complete stop before making the turn. Illegal right turns are when the driver makes a right turn on red regardless if they camer to a complete stop. The fines in California are $159 and right turn cameras are also being used in Missouri $100), Tenessee ($100), Texas ($75) and Maryland ($75).

These right turn photo enforced intersections often surprise drivers because there are not very many intersections currently regulated. These intersections usually prevent drivers from turning right who might have limited visibility 0t mighy be moving at a speed that is unsafe. I still haven't figured out why rolling right turns are such a big deal that they have to be photo enforced. Its possible that bikers or pedestrians often are frequenting the sidewalks or streets and the cities want drivers to be extra cautious.

The Wall Street Journal botched this story "Get the Feeling You're Being Watched - If You're Driving, You Just Might Be. Cameras to Catch Speeders and Scofflaws Are Spreading -- And Sparking Road Rage" This story was botched as they did not do their homework with regards to cameras in operation. "Suppliers estimate that there are now slightly over 3,000 red-light and speed cameras in operation in the U.S., up from about 2,500 a year ago". This number is incorrect and its more like 5,000-6,000 red light cameras in operation. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that at the end of last year, 345 U.S. jurisdictions were using red-light cameras, up from 243 in 2007 and 155 in 2006. The Insurance Institute of Highway safety has never published an article on the topic of red light cameras or speed cameras and they are sited as the source for this information as well. I am not sure how much credibility this organization has with regards to regulation, tracking of locations and souring of for this information.

Also, I think RedFlex gave the WSJ a bogus number of 3000 cameras operating in the U.S. so it made it look like they have bigger market share than they actually do. Did they talk to ATS, Nestor, ACS, RedSpeed, LaserCraft, Traffipax, Gatso and Transcore? Did they talk to any cities who have purchased cameras and operate them without the management services of these companies? Many cities have purchased cameras and do not use a large company to operate them. See our comparison grid wiki of red light camera operators

I am also disappointed the writer did not highlight the discrepancies in fines across the U.S. that range from $50-$500.

I am also not sure if the WSJ actually talked to customers who used the Plate Blocker?

read more

Automatic License Plate Recognition

ELSAG North America is aiding US law enforcement with public safety solutions based on highly intelligent, Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology. Applications include highway and traffic safety, criminal intelligence gathering, homeland security, auto recovery, AMBER Alerts, and school bus safety, and many more.

A network of fixed LPR systems, which can be mounted to structures such as bridges and overpasses, as well as mobile LPR systems, which are mounted to police vehicles that can capture up to 3,000 license plates per hour, help keep a tight watch on cities, ports, borders and other sensitive areas. The MPH-900® LPR technology is being used by hundreds of agencies all across the United States to assist with interdiction, the capturing criminal intelligence data. The technology arms law enforcement with real time knowledge and post-action criminal intelligence increasing the day-to-day productivity and safety of officers all over North America. The power of the MPH-900 LPR system ensures safer streets, a safer nation and safer officers. More than four hundred agencies across thirty US states are applying the automatic License Plate Reader to a variety of missions including:

• Removing suspended and revoked drivers off the road before they cause an accident
• Recovery of stolen vehicles and rental cars
• Assistance with AMBER Alerts and missions related to missing and exploited children
• Safe school initiatives such as perimeter security and school bus safety
• Development and maintenance of Sexual Predators Hot Lists
• Drug interdiction
• Highway Safety
• Homeland Security initiatives
• Gang and racketeering interdiction
• Collection of unpaid taxes and fees

www.Elsagna.com for more info.

You may have heard in the news and in the blogosphere that Arizona was going to give their red light cameras and speed cameras the boot - putting a referendum on an upcoming election to end their photo enforcement program. There is a contingency of loud people lobbying and trying to build interest for the removal of speed and red light cameras in Arizona. Often they resort to graffiti and destructive means to get their points across.

However, A recent poll puts the camera issue dead last in the list of issues that Arizona citizens want tackled by their government. A survey of 800 Arizonans on what issues lawmakers and Gov. Jan Brewer should tackle ranked job creation and improved public education as the top two issues, with 62 percent and 32 percent, respectively. Less than 1% of the people want it addressed right now.

So, it looks like these cameras are here to stay for a while. If your looking for a GPS detector to warn you when you're near them, check out our PhotoEnforced.com guide. If you want something that's really easy to use and the "least expensive", buy the GPS Angel. It's only $99 - less than the cost of one speeding ticket.

The city of Scottsdale, Arizona may take it a step further and is considering using its photo enforced cameras to enforce distracted driver laws. Photo enforcement cameras in Scottsdale are capable of detecting behavior such as text messaging or other “distracted driving” behavior, in addition to capturing speeders and red-light runners. But whether Scottsdale pursues such enforcement as part of a proposed text-messaging and distracted driving law remains to be seen. “We’re able to see people clearly on their cell phones,” said Josh Weiss, spokesman for American Traffic Solutions, the company that operates the fixed cameras and camera-equipped vans on Scottsdale surface streets.

On September 24th, 2008 the Governor of California , Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 28 (SB 28) in to law. The new bill “Prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication." The new bill will impose a fine of $20 for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses starting January 1, 2009. No violation points will be given as a result of the offense and there are exceptions for emergency personnel.

The bill requires motorists to use hands-free devices while talking on a mobile phone when driving a motor vehicle. California motorists using cell phones have been required to use hands-free devices since July, and drivers under age 18 can't use any electronic devices. Seven other states and the District of Columbia ban text-messaging or the use of hand-held phones while driving, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

GPS warning devices sold in the U.S. are specifically designed to help drivers avoid getting a photo enforced tickets. Drivers receiving photo enforced tickets can expect fines ranging from $50-$450 in the U.S. Having a device that alerts you when a point of interest (POI) such as red light camera or speed camera location is approaching can make you extra cautious of drivers and theoretically reduce your chances of getting a ticket. The GPS navigation market is growing rapidly but is still in the "early adopter" phase. Taking a long term approach when deciding what to purchase as your device is the smartest approach. You might ask yourself what other types of points of interest GPS alerts you might you want in your device such as cheap gas, accidents, traffic, etc.



Please help us update PhotoEnforced.com Comparison of GPS Navigation Warning Devices. The grid is a wiki, so you can add or update missing information, and help me and the community by selecting the item you like best.

Is the U.S. Photo Enforced industy doing a $150M per year in revenue? Some estimate the total available market could be 35,000 intersections in the near future which would make it about a $1B industry in the U.S. Below is a list of companies that are operating Red Light Cameras and Speed Cameras in the U.S. This list will continually be updated as we piece together ESTIMATES of information about active U.S. locations, revenue per location and company. We have 5000+ unique locations listed in our database that we estimate average $30,000 in revenue per location. Please email updates and tips on this information to jeff@photoenforced.com.

1) RedFlex - (Public, ASX:RDF) - 2000 - $70M/year
2) Affiliated Computer Services -1000 - $30M/year
3) American Traffic Solutions - 1000 - $30M/year
4) Nestor -(Public, OTC:NEST) - 400 -$13M/year
5) RedSpeed - 250 - $7M/Year
6) Laser Craft - 250 - $7M Year
7) TraffiPax - 100 - $3M/Year
?) Transcore - ?
?) Gatso - ?

Here is a chart provided by RedFlex in their shareholder presentation.

GATSO USA Introduces Industry's First AMBER Alert Photo Enforcement Camera -- Helping Police Stop Child Abductions. Camera's AMBER Alert Feature Can Drastically Increase Chances of Locating Abducted Children During Crucial First Minutes of Search.

The camera's AMBER Alert feature enables police departments to search in real time for wanted or suspect vehicles at intersections or locations within a city's network of compatible red light or speed photo enforcement cameras. When a suspect vehicle passes a camera location, the camera immediately reports the information back to the police department.

This is a very interesting application and "spin" on the use of the red light camera technology and probably will spur further adoption because it reduces the friction between a city councils and citizens. The AMBER Alert™ Program is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe recovery of the child.

See Active AMBER Alerts
Gatso Press Release