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State Speed Camera Audit

Updated: Wednesday, November 28 2012, 09:29 PM EST
New questions are surfacing about the reliability of speed cameras, since a new audit has revealed problems with the state's program.  According to the state, in three years since the state began using speed cameras in highway work zones, the highways have become far safer.

But the state's seven cameras which operate from roadside vehicles are the focus of a new audit which raises questions about their accuracy and their efficiency.

In the first nine months auditors discovered the majority of violations weren't clear enough to read or reliable enough to issue. The miss print caused 850 thousand dollars in potential revenue to be thrown out.

Auditors discovered there weren't even enough benchmarks to detect the problem. That audit also revealed that it took nine months before the cameras were calibrated by an independent laboratory, which is a requirement of the state.

Instead, their accuracy was certified by a representative from Vitronic, the company that makes the cameras. Despite the problems, the state still renewed the contract for the company that runs the program and without proper approval. 

Though the state insists it has taken numerous steps to monitor the program, State Auditors insist they've seen no documentation to reflect that. State Speed Camera Audit