In 2022, Colorado saw 745 traffic deaths -- the highest in the state since 1981, and a 57% increase compared to a decade ago. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), those figures also include a record number of pedestrians and motorcyclists.
In response, the city of Aurora has launched a speed camera pilot program meant to slow down drivers.
The program began in mid-July, but the city only issued warnings to drivers for the first month. Starting Monday, drivers who are caught speeding, will begin receiving citations for driving 11 mph or more above the speed limit.
Aurora Police Department (APD) spokesperson Joe Moylan said the department issued 385 warnings in the first month.
In Aurora, the cameras are largely located in residential areas with speed limits of 35 mph or less, school and work zones and streets bordering parks.
The city is also choosing streets based on heightened safety risks and traffic history. Residents can also suggest streets for enforcement online.
"I heard from the lieutenant who's overseeing the program that we're seeing quite a bit of activity in some areas of town and not quite as much in other areas, so I think we're just kind of fine tuning on where those higher speeding locations are," Moylan said.
The cameras are operated by speed enforcement vans with laser technology, along with warning signs along the road for drivers.
Fines start at $40, but go up to $80 in school zones. Drivers traveling more than 25 mph above the speed limit will get a summons for a traffic offense. Drivers will be able to dispute cases with the city. People who receive citations will not accumulate points in the state's license suspension system.
The pilot program will run through summer of 2024, after which city officials will study results to decide whether or not to keep the program.
The use of speed cameras is on the rise in Denver and across the state.
In June, Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill allowing cities to expand their use of speed cameras. Proponents of the cameras point to high fatality rates and the danger of speeding, while some studies show the cameras could reduce racial profiling by police by having cameras automatically issue tickets, rather than police pulling over drivers.
But a 2022 ProPublica analysis of traffic cameras in Chicago found that the technology ticketed Black and Latino drivers at higher rates. In Colorado, some lawmakers raised concerns of a "surveillance state" and the potential overuse of citations to generate town revenue.
Moylan said the city largely looked at studies of driver behavior in developing the program.
You can read more about the program here.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with the number of warnings in the program's first month.
