Denver cracks down on speeders

Photo bytoine GonUnsplash

The Denver City Council will consider Monday a program called AVIS, or automated vehicle identification system, using existing equipment to nail and fine speeders throughout the city.

AVIS also targets red light runners and those who pass school buses. According to a presentation from city staff to the council, AVIS “aims to reduce crashes and traffic-related deaths in school zones, work zones, and other high-risk corridors, known as AVIS corridors.”

Denver’s roads are deadly and inspired the “Vision Zero” plan to eliminate traffic deaths in the city. Denver has a traffic death rate of 8 deaths per 100,000, slightly less than the national average of 11 deaths per 100,000. There have been 49 deaths in Denver this year, but at this time last year there had been 58 deaths, according to the presentation.

When cars collide at 20 mph, chances are 90% of the vehicles’ occupants will survive, according to the presentation. But if a collision occurs at 45 mph, only one in 10 will survive, according to the presentation. More than 80% of Denver traffic deaths occur at speeds over 30 mph.

Where cameras are located

The red light cameras are at 6th Avenue and Kalamath, eastbound; 6th & Lincoln Street, eastbound; 8th and Speer Boulevard, westbound, and 36th & Quebec, northbound. The speed cameras are mobile and have been deployed throughout the city.

What traffic violations will cost you

Fines for speeding range from $40 to $120 depending on how fast the motorist was traveling over the speed limit. For up to 9 mph over the limit, the city only issues a warning unless the violation occurs in a school zone. For traveling more than 25 mph over the speed limit, the city can order a motorist jailed for up to a year.

Disobeying a bus lane results in a $75 fine. Passing a school bus illegally costs motorists $300.

The city received one letter in opposition to the AVIS program from resident Andrew Perry. “I support reasonable efforts to improve traffic safety and discourage dangerous driving,” the letter explains. “But this proposal raises serious concerns about whether automated enforcement is being used primarily as a public-safety tool or as another mechanism for imposing fees and penalties on Denver residents.”

How camera locations are chosen

AVIS corridor locations were established using quantitative data collection related to accident history, speeding, or reckless driving within the past five years, according to the presentation. “AVIS corridors are distributed citywide rather than concentrated in any single neighborhood or council district. The technology is unbiased and allows Denver Police Department officers to focus on high-risk driving behavior like (reckless driving, which is a criminal offense). Having a citywide approach ensures safety benefits are shared across Denver while avoiding disproportionate enforcement impacts on specific communities.”