New I-380 speed camera is live

After nine sets of fixed cameras have issued nearly $700,000 in citations, a new set will watch the southbound lanes of Interstate 380 starting at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.

Back on June 12, the cameras started to issue tickets on I-380 northbound at Diagonal Drive, the first to watch the interstate. That day alone, camera statistics reveal 132 drivers on I-380 were cited, most for the $75 fine that appears to be issued when driving between 67-74 miles per hour on the interstate, where the speed limit is 55 miler per hour.

“Those first few weeks, everybody forgets they are there even when there are signs that say, ‘Photo Enforced',” said Sgt. Christy Hamblin of the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

A breakdown of the data did not show any citations on I-380 for drivers going 66 miles per hour or less. This “unconfirmed tolerance” appears at all of the fixed cameras. Whether the speed limit was 30, 35, 40 or 55, police did not issue any speed citations for drivers who stayed within 10 miles of the posted speed limit.

All throughout the controversial policy, police have maintained that changing driving habits and making the streets safer is the top priority. Hamblin also noted that the I-380 “S-curve” through downtown has not produced any fatal crashes so far in 2010. She said three people died in crashes along this stretch last year.

Search the database of people who have been cited for traffic camera violations