The city of Scottsdale, Arizona is considering using its ticket cameras to enforce distracted driving laws. Yes, the same cameras that are frequently unable to identify the drivers of vehicles may be used to check for text messaging behind the wheel.
From the East Valley Tribune:
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.
And here’s a fun sentence:
Weiss is also a member of Scottsdale’s Transportation Commission, which recently voted to recommend that the City Council adopt a ban on text messaging while driving.
So a spokesperson for a ticket camera manufacturer is on the city’s Transportation Commission and no one bats an eye? Amazing.
