(Headline article below) I was completely unaware of this going on in Colorado, though we rarely go down that far south into Colorado. And the speed limits out in this part of the country are pretty good, so no reason to speed. They have to be raking in the dough though as Colorado drivers love to speed. The craziest I’ve seen is Highway 70 going west from Denver when we went to Mount Blue Sky. Interestingly, this is a completely different system than Flock ALPR cameras and data is only stored in relation to speed violations, though do you believe a data broker isn’t gobbling it up from the company’s servers to sell to the federal government skirting the 4th amendment?
Is this automated speed enforcement system the same as “Flock” surveillance cameras?
No. While both systems use cameras, they serve different purposes. Flock cameras are used to help law enforcement and other associations locate stolen vehicles, respond to AMBER Alerts, find missing persons or assist with criminal investigations. CDOT does not operate Flock cameras.
CDOT’s Colorado Speed Enforcement program is focused specifically on roadway safety. The cameras used in this program are placed in targeted areas such as work zones, school zones and corridors with a history of serious speed-related crashes. They are used only to detect vehicles traveling above the posted speed limit in accordance with Colorado law.
How is data from the speed cameras stored and used?
Data collected through CDOT’s Colorado Speed Enforcement program is used only for limited purposes allowed under Colorado law. Cameras in active work zones are programmed to capture and retain images only when a speeding violation is detected.
The photos and video associated with a violation are confidential and protected by law, meaning they are not public records. This information is used only for necessary program operations, such as reviewing and processing violations or other law enforcement purposes permitted by law.
All collected footage is retained only as long as needed and is destroyed within three years after a violation has been resolved. CDOT is committed to protecting driver privacy and maintaining transparency in how the program operates.
https://www.motor1.com/news/792050/colorado-automated-speed-limit-cameras/
The automated vehicle ID system uses several cameras to calculate your average speed, and if it exceeds the limit, you get a ticket.
By: Anthony Alaniz
The Breakdown:
- Colorado has expanded its use of cameras that will issue tickets if your average speed exceeds the limit by 10 miles per hour or more.
- The state passed a law in 2023 to allow law enforcement agencies to use automated vehicle identification systems to issue speeding tickets.
- The system issues a ticket to the vehicle owner, regardless of who is actually driving.
Speed cameras are not new. They have been in use in the United States for nearly 40 years, and your favorite navigation app will warn you when you’re approaching one, but those will no longer work as intended on certain stretches of Colorado roads and highways.
The state’s new automated vehicle identification systems (AVIS) use several cameras to calculate your average speed between them, and if it is 10 miles per hour or more over the limit, you get a ticket. No longer will you be able to slow down as you approach a camera and speed back up after passing it, not that you should be speeding on public roads in the first place.
Colorado began deploying this new camera system after legislators changed the law in 2023, allowing AVIS for law enforcement use. The systems, installed on various roads and highways throughout the state, first began issuing warnings, but police began issuing tickets late last year.
The most recent section of road to fall under surveillance is a stretch of I-25 north of Denver, which brought the state’s growing panopticon to our attention. It began issuing tickets on April 2.
The Colorado Department of Transportation installed the cameras along a construction zone. The fine is $75 and zero points for exceeding the speed limit, and the police issue it to the vehicle’s owner, regardless of who is driving.
Motor1’s Take: Colorado’s automated vehicle identification system should be a reminder that driving is a privilege and not a right, and that the growing surveillance state will make it easier for governments to enforce the law. It’s not impossible to imagine a future where these cameras, likely packed with artificial intelligence, line every road in America and identify more than just speeding cars.