331 Photo Speed Trap

Not prohibited by state law in Arizona. Law says enforcement contractors need to get a private investigator's license which many cities contractors have. Scottsdale for example turned their cameras back on in May after being shut off in March.

here in az they did determine that these radar enforcement zones are for revenue enhancement and they have been prohibited by state law. As the op noted there is a small sign placed 50 ft or so prior to the enforcement vehicle and they already have your picture.

For the holier than thou speed limits are not for safety per se, as many roadways have been determined to be posted at lower speeds than are safe. Makes ya think does it not. We had a roadway posted at 35, lotsa tickets, state got involved in court case and engineers determined that 55 was an appropriate speed for the roadway. In Ok 1 time I crossed a street and had been in a 35 speed zone, crossed the other street and it DROPPED to 25 with no notice! Got a ticket, when I asked the cop where was it posted he claimed that it was on a sign at the CITY LIMITS but could not tell me where! It was a LOCAL thing. Anyhow went to the court and it was dismissed as not even the judge could answer the question. Did find a sign some months later a small backroad but that was it. Too many Barney Fifes out there with a better idea.

Seems that they should just put an electronic governor on everything. Problem solved. No tickets, no enforcement, no court costs, less accidents, less insurance claims, less wear and tear, less fuel use, less police needed....oh wait, they dont want that!!

Is it a speed trap?
Answer is NO!
A speed trap is a place where the speed limit is set artificially low and with rapid changes so as to confuse unwary out of area drivers.
It is also a place where the police are concealed to catch drivers.
Your scenario does not meet the definition and we do not know if fines are being charged against anyone.

Enforcement does not equal speed trap specially when the car is marked "photo enforcement"

Speed limits are a joke and many are established to do just what the OP is talking about, generating revenues. I just drove Hw 83 from McAllen, Tx to Roma, Tx. This is the most patrolled area in south Texas and the people living along this corridor are fed up with it. I'm stopped on every trip including this one for no reason other than to hassle people, look for drugs, give tickets and generate revenues. Locals aren't happy in any of the towns along this route claiming it has hurt business and driven away tourists and rvers heading west. BTW, it is one of the most corrup areas in the U.S. with many of the sheriffs, police, mayors, and other public officials being thrown in the slammer for corruption.

Corruption On The Border: Dismantling Misconduct In The Rio Grande Valley

Ho boy!

Happened to me once in Cedar Rapids, Iowa a few years ago. I normally do not speed, but just wasn't paying attention at all. Lesson learned.

Ever since, those signs "photographic enforced" or "electronically enforced" jump out at me.

And I STRONGLY disagree with the OP that this is a money maker. It might be generating revenues off the backs of people who are blatantly disregarding the posted speed limit, but I'm sure everyone driving the roads can see plainly posted speed limit signs and also the warning signs that the speed limit is posted in plain sight. It would be a "trap" or a "money maker" if the speed limit signs were conveniently hidden or obscured, but they are not! YOU ARE A BLATANT law breaker if you are speeding!

Regardless of YOUR opinion what the speed limit should be or how fast you want to drive, speed limits are posted for the safety of everyone on the road. It's not just the traffic directly in front of you or behind you. The people who make the decisions to post a specified limit have studied the situation out on a specific road and made a determination what is a safe speed to safely stop in the event something were to happen. They take into account the side roads entering the main road, the number of private and business properties, how many driveways, access points, children in the are, and any thing else that could potentially jump out in to traffic. They take into consideration hills, dips, curves, and how visible the distance is ahead how log it takes to stop within that distance to determine the speed.

Yes, I HAVE been through stretches of road where the speed limit seems to change every 1/4 mile. I try to respect that, because it's quite obvious if the speed limit is slower than the normal 55 mph, there's something on the road that needs my attention. Yes, it takes a brain sometimes, something far too many do not use. They think "they" are the exception, and "they" are the ones the laws of physics (and man) don't apply to them.

Regardless of what folks have said on these forums, changing speed limits, (regardless of how often) on a specific stretch of road, is for safety reasons.

You also have to remember, that different stretches of the same road could be under the jurisdiction of different law enforcement agencies, ... county, state, city, federal ... all within short distances of each other, on the same road. This also could affect the reason for changing speed limits.

The bottom line is, if everyone actually OBEYED the posted speed limit, there would be no reason for photographic ticketing!

Like I said ... I ALSO got a ticket photographically in the past! AND I support it! I was at fault, I blatantly disregarded the "law", I deserved the ticket. And I'll say it again.... I support the electronic photographic ticketing process. If it gets folks to slow down, pay attention, and it saves lives, it's well worth it!

We gave up using 331 from Montgomery southbound to go to Destin. It's much faster to run all the way down to Exit 114 on I65 and then take AL55 through Georgiana, Andlasusia, to Florala. This is where we pick up US331 into Florida. We save a hour or more doing this. Of course you have to watch for I65 back ups and avoid them as necessary too.

So, how many 'pictures' did you get in the mail? :E

Thanks for the info.