PHOENIX -- James Snyder says he drives down Interstate 17 quite often and is concerned about the flash from the new photo enforcement cameras that sit at the Bethany Home Road overpass.

"It will distract you," Snyder, from Phoenix, said. "It's definitely a bright flash."

The cameras are located just outside the area covered by the overpass and the devices that create the flash are right on the fringe of the area covered by the overpass. The flash itself does occur underneath the overpass, which was a concern for some drivers.

"If you're driving and you see the flash, it takes your mind off what you're doing when you're supposed to be driving," said Robert Vigil, from Tempe.

Simon Washington, a professor of civil engineering at Arizona State University, was commissioned by Scottsdale to do independent research on the safety impact of the cameras.

He said there is no evidence to suggest that the flashes distract drivers, other than complaints he has heard from drivers.

He does, however, recommend not putting cameras underneath overpasses, like the ones set up at Bethany Home Road.

He believes the cameras should be as visible as possible to drivers, so that drivers will see them and slow down. Washington said that is the ultimate goal of the cameras.

"If they know it's there, they slow down; which is the behavior you want to get rid of (drivers speeding)," said Washington.

He believes placing the cameras underneath an overpass -- or near on-ramps or off-ramps -- might make drivers think they are purposely hidden. He said that will create a negative perception among drivers.

"That has a general effect of making drivers believe that all safety devices are there not for safety but to generate revenue," Washington said.

When asked about the placement of cameras near the Bethany Home Road overpass, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said the cameras were placed there because there had been a number of fatal wrecks in that area.

They added that they try to place cameras near key interchanges, because drivers tend to suffer from inattention in those areas, causing wrecks. Bethany Home Road is within a few miles of the I-17 and I-10 interchange.

DPS also told us they had not received complaints about the cameras at Bethany Home Road.

They do not tell their mobile camera drivers to avoid parking underneath an overpass.