4/19/2007
Arizona: Photo Ticket Company Wants No PointsA photo ticketing company is trying to do away with license demerit points for camera tickets in Arizona.
Scottsdale, Arizona's new photo enforcement vendor, ATS, is promoting legislation that would remove license demerit points from photo tickets issued in the state. The change is designed to increase the number of citations issued, reduce the cost of taking photographs and eliminate a number of due process protections that come with criminal citations.
When there is no need to match the driver in a speed camera photograph to the registered owner, the revenue from citations is expected to skyrocket at least 40 percent for both the camera vendor and any Arizona city operating photo radar or red light cameras.
Rival red light camera vendor Redflex from Australia has joined with Scottsdale city officials to oppose the move. The East Valley Tribune reports ATS is pushing for the change as an amendment to budget legislation.
The primary beneficiary of the current license point system is the insurance industry which raises billions of dollars in increased premiums from photo tickets issued in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois and overseas. The change would not affect conventional traffic citations.