Photo Radar Returns to Municipalities

Ontario intends to introduce legislation that would target unsafe drivers and help protect school children, seniors, other pedestrians and cyclists.

Premier Kathleen Wynne was in Ottawa today to announce intended legislation that, if passed, would give municipalities more tools to improve safety in community safety zones and school zones.  “Municipalities and our road safety partners have strongly advocated for tougher measures to stop dangerous drivers and better protect pedestrians,” Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca said.

These measures would include:

• Automated speed enforcement (ASE) technology on municipal roads, which takes pictures of speeders’ licence plates and is already used in many parts of North America and Europe, and for community safety zones and school zones
• The ability to create zones with reduced speed limits to decrease the severity of pedestrian-vehicle collisions in urban areas

A streamlined process for municipalities to participate in Ontario’s Red Light Camera program without the need for lengthy regulatory approval.

Ontario has heard from municipalities seeking to improve safety in their communities in the wake of collisions involving children, seniors, other pedestrians and cyclists, and is proposing these changes as a result.

Photo radar was first introduced by former Premier Bob Rae in 1994.  It was stopped by former Premier Mike Harris.