By Placido Diaz, Retired Police Chief, now Senior Account Manager at Verra Mobility
Police departments across the United States are facing significant challenges in the recruitment and hiring of officers. Research shows that 65% of law enforcement agencies report having too few candidates apply to become police officers. The COVID-19 pandemic along with social, political and economic issues have left many municipalities without the proper number of officers required for their jurisdiction and placed even greater strain on current police departments.
While police organizations continue to ramp up their recruitment and retention efforts, they are also thinking creatively about ways to help officers protect the public by harnessing the power of technology to combat dangerous and illegal driving behaviors—especially when it comes to speeding.
Without a doubt, law enforcement officials are faced with a significant number of dangerous speeders on the roads. For decades, speeding has been the cause of more than one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. In 2022 alone, speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities, claiming over 12,151 lives. 2023 proprietary traffic citation data from Verra Mobility shows the highest month of speeding violations occurred in July, with more than one-million speeding tickets issued. More concerning was that the average ticketed driver exceeded the speed limit by 17 mph and more than 32,000 speeding events were captured exceeding 21 mph over the limit.
To help solve this deadly road epidemic, automated speed safety camera programs are being implemented in more and more communities. By partnering with local police departments and communities, these camera programs provide video-based evidence to record illegal incidents, change driver behavior, and ensure safer communities in their districts.
This technology serves as a “force multiplier" that enables the agency to use its valuable police resources elsewhere. One of the benefits for police departments and officers that I personally witnessed was that automated enforcement reduces the amount of time police officers spend outside of their vehicles and in potentially risky situations. These programs ensure consistent enforcement across the board by providing comprehensive event data, including photographic and video evidence, timestamps, and location data, leaving no room for dispute. They also allow officers to catch more illegal behavior and capture more infractions—often 30 to 40 times more.
Today, nearly half of the states in the U.S. have authorized automated speed enforcement legislation. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study found that cameras reduced the fatal red light running crash rate of large cities by 21% and the rate of all types of fatal crashes at signalized intersections by 14%. Many European and Asian countries see lower traffic fatalities than here in the U.S. and are deploying speed cameras more widely.
Benefits of Automated Safety Cameras
Speed safety camera programs utilize advanced technology to detect speeding vehicles and capture photographic and video evidence of the violation. These programs offer several options to offer the best solutions for the needs of different jurisdictions:
Fixed Locations – By strategically placing automated safety cameras in high-risk areas like school zones and busy streets and neighborhoods, these programs provide 24/7/365 continuous monitoring without the need for officers.
Adaptable Enforcement – Units can be transported and easily relocated and reconfigured to enforce speed at multiple locations or for specific needs like large public gatherings, concerts, sporting events and more.
Mobile Flexibility – Mobile camera solutions can be quickly deployed on roadsides where there are reports of increased speeding or traffic and safety concerns in a community.
Automated camera programs deliver significant safety benefits:
Proven to Change Driver Behavior – The presence and operation of safety cameras increases driver awareness of speed limits, encouraging long-term compliance. In fact, Verra Mobility’s speed enforcement data from school district partners shows that 70% of drivers that were caught speeding through a school zone never received another citation. In Seattle, ninety percent of drivers who received a speeding ticket did not receive another one, while Washington, D.C. reported a seventy percent reduction in fatalities. And in school zones, New York City reported a seventy-three percent reduction in speeding during school hours.
Safer for Everyone – Reduced speeding creates safer environments for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Lower speeds mitigate crash severity and increase survival chances.
Public Education and Awareness – Effective programs integrate public awareness campaigns that highlight the dangers of speeding and the importance of obeying speed limits. This multi-faceted approach fosters a culture of safe driving habits. Vision Zero programs are being implemented in several U.S. cities to reduce road fatalities along with police enforcement and public education campaigns. A Vision Zero program in Philadelphia includes Complete Streets safety projects that use proven traffic safety measures including road diets, vehicle lane narrowing, separated bike lanes, and speed cushions. These projects have reduced fatal and serious injury crashes by 34%, and total injury crashes by 20%.
Public data supports the effectiveness of speed safety camera programs in communities across the country and the globe using automated safety programs to enforce speed limits and improve safety in and around schools, parks, intersections, and neighborhoods. The United States Dept. of Transportation’s nationwide road safety strategy (NRRS) urges pilot programs and promotion for greater use of speed cameras, saying it could provide more equitable enforcement than police traffic stops.
For example, a Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA)* report documented a dramatic reduction in crashes on the infamous Roosevelt Boulevard following the implementation of a speed safety camera program. Compared to a citywide decline of just 6%, crashes on the Boulevard plummeted by 36%. Furthermore, crashes with serious injuries or fatalities decreased by 11% on the Boulevard while increasing by 16% elsewhere in Philadelphia.
We know this technology helps give police departments a ‘force multiplier’ while saving lives. The more cameras deployed, the more lives we can help save.
*Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) Roosevelt Boulevard Automated Speed Camera Annual Report (April 2023)
About the Author
Placido Diaz possesses over 20 years of extensive professional experience in the law enforcement field with expertise in managing investigations, security, public service, law enforcement training, and Police activities. He is also knowledgeable in internal affairs investigations, governmental presentations, public safety programs, emergency response, policy and procedure development, budget planning, management, and media public relations. He is an excellent communicator with notable success in the management of operations focused on lowered crime, heightened security, strengthened productivity, and overall quality of life across the community.
Placido’s experience in the public safety field is an asset to his clients and he believes in teamwork and collaborating with all stakeholders in any organization in order to succeed. He manages multiple Florida-based accounts throughout the state and in North Carolina.
