In a bid to ensure safer roads, Aurora is ramping up its efforts to rein in drivers with a need for speed. On Friday, the Aurora Police Department announced the launch of its photo speed enforcement pilot program.

Warnings will be given to violators during the first 30 calendar days of the pilot program, and citations will be issued thereafter, according to a news release.

“Traffic fatalities have been on the rise in Colorado and throughout the country, and speeding is a major contributing factor,” Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo said via press release. “We recognize as a department that something must be done. The photo enforcement program is another important tool that we will utilize in our mission to keep our residents and the traveling public safe.” 

The City of Aurora has already reached 35 traffic related fatalities for 2023, it stated last week following a fatal rollover crash. That pace is set to exceed last year’s total of 50 for all of 2022.

Since 2019, annual crash fatalities have increased by 18% across the U.S. and by 28% in Colorado, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Colorado Department of Transportation.

“Studies show there is a direct correlation between receiving a speeding ticket and a motorist changing future driving behaviors,” said Lt. Carrigan Bennett with the Aurora Police Department Traffic Section. “Once deployed, we expect the photo enforcement vehicles will prompt safer driving habits, especially near schools, around parks and in our densely populated residential neighborhoods.”

Like photo enforcement programs in Denver and other communities, Aurora’s program will feature vehicles equipped with laser systems. According to APD, photo enforcement vehicles will be located in residential areas where the speed limit is 35 mph or less, school zones, streets that border municipal parks, and work zones. Locations will be chosen based on traffic safety risks, data history and public feedback, and vehicle operators will periodically return to areas to gauge how effective they are in improving driver behavior.

Photo enforcement vehicles will park in the open, and signage will be placed ahead to warn motorists of the enforcement zone, in accordance with state law. The vehicles will operate seven days a week.

Once officers commence issuing citations, speeders will see a hit to their bank accounts. Fines are state capped at $40 per citation, and $80 in school zones. Motorists who receive a citation for driving more than 25 mph over the posted speed limit will also receive a summons, which can be disputed in Aurora Municipal Court. Fines will help cover the cost of the program, as well as neighborhood traffic calming projects across the city. 

For more information about the photo enforcement program, visit auroragov.org/photoenforcement. Residents of Aurora are welcome to offer feedback on which areas of the city they think should be monitored.