Insurance industry: Photo radar tickets should carry points

Insurance companies hope to change the current policy for photo radar tickets, which allows for a fine, but no points against your driving record.

Information about driving violations is invaluable to insurance companies, said Ron Williams of the Arizona Insurance Council.

"It's an important criteria to determine the risk that we're going to underwrite. Your driving record might be different from mine, and insurance companies need to know that information in order to be able to adequately price that risk. It shows up in the premium you pay."

Williams said the insurance council is not lobbying the Legislature, but is trying to "educate the public" on the importance of having photo radar tickets count against driving records.

"If those violations do not show up on your driving record from the photo radar, then as a pool of insurers, the high-risk driver will not be paying what they should be paying in terms of premiums and the low-risk drivers like you and me will be paying more," Williams said.

He added, "People need to be aware of the fact that their reckless driving behavior does have consequences, and so we think the reporting of the violations and points on driving records are an important part of that element."

One insurance company may be taking matters into its own hands. D.T. Arnison of camerafraud.com claims the parent company of Geico has invested money in American Traffic Systems, which runs the traffic cameras in Scotttsdale and other parts of Arizona.

"Even though the state says it's not going to assign points, what's to stop ATS from directly reporting to their sister company, Geico, about your driving records and your driving habits? Nothing," said Arnison.

Arizona's group is working to put a measure to ban photo radar on the 2010 Arizona election ballot.

"The state of Arizona has shown its true color and that is it has an addiction to your money and now that they've double-crossed the insurance agencies and the insurance lobby, you're going to see one more nail in the coffin of photo enforcement," Arnison said.

Arnison predicted that -- unless changes are made to assign points to photo radar -- insurance companies eventually will turn against the state and call for removal of the cameras.