10 Worst Speed Traps in Metro Phoenix

Yell if you love photo-radar cameras! (Crickets.)

Anyone driving around metro Phoenix has been caught by surprise by these speed cameras. We're here to help, by identifying the worst speed traps in the Valley of the Sun.

10.) Near Phoenix Schools
According to documents on the city's website, police use photo-radar vans outside the city's schools, and unlike two other cities that do this (mentioned later in this list), the Phoenix Police Department doesn't publicize the enforcement schedule on its website.

9.) Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale keeps a rotating list of places where the photo-radar vans are parked, but as far as the fixed cameras are concerned, Scottsdale Road has most of them, with cameras at the street's intersection with McDowell Road, Thomas Road, Shea Boulevard, and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard.

8.) Rio Verde Drive, Scottsdale
Most likely, you're asking yourself, "Where is Rio Verde drive?" That's because this fixed camera is just about on the edge of civilization, and will probably catch you by surprise if you've never driven through there before.

7.) Power Road, Mesa 
Power Road has more fixed cameras (five) than any other street in the Mesa.

6.) Near Scottsdale Schools
First of all, be advised that the Scottsdale publicizes which school zones it's going to target for speeding. However, it's a little trickier outside of Scottsdale schools — instead of big, obvious radar vans, the city uses what it calls the "School Tower," which is a photo-radar device that kind of looks like a big trash can.


5.) At Mesa Schools
Mesa is not messing around with speeding around its schools. Six of the schools have permanent cameras, which the city's website says are on 24 hours a day. Speed is reduced to 35 miles per hour in accordance with the school schedule. 

4.) Grand Avenue, El Mirage
El Mirage is a small town west of Phoenix that just happens to have a part of Grand Avenue within its town limits. Despite the street's running through many cities and towns on the west side, El Mirage is the only one that's taken advantage of this by placing a photo-radar camera along the street.

3.) North Chandler
The City of Chandler will be relocating some of its traffic cameras this year, based on data showing the most dangerous intersections. The problem is, half of the city's 12 cameras box in the same group of neighborhoods, between Dobson Road and Arizona Avenue, and Ray Road and Elliot Road.

2.) Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley loves its photo radar. And according to data provided by the town a few years ago, there's no more popular location to park the photo-radar van than Lincoln Drive.

1.) Tatum Boulevard, Paradise Valley
Not only are a majority of the town's fixed radar cameras along Tatum Boulevard, but according to the town's stats, it's also one of the most popular roads to park the radar van. The stats show about 95 percent of the citations issued were to people who didn't live in the wealthy town.