Photo-radar tickets spike for drivers going 10 km/h or less over limit
“People are driving at a lower speed, but still speeding," says tranportation branch manager
The number of people caught on photo radar going no more than 10 km/h over the speed limit quadrupled in 2014, according to statistics released by the city.
In 2014, 13 per cent of photo radar tickets were given to drivers going 10 km/h or less faster than the speed limit, between January 1st and December 1st.
That’s up from only three per cent in 2013. No tickets were given to people going less than five km/h over the limit in either year.
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Gord Cebryk, branch manager of transportation operations for the city, said the numbers show people are still speeding, but they’re not going as fast as in past years.
“That shows us that the program is working, that we’re starting to see that trend, and that’s what we want to continue,” he said.
“People are driving at a lower speed, but still speeding.”
At a transportation committee meeting last November, Cebryk said most tickets go to those driving far too fast, and presented council with the 2013 statistics as evidence. He said the city plans to post more up-to-date information in the future.
“That was a complete year, and what we’ll do is as soon as these numbers are available we will provide the 2014 year,” he said. “Going forward our plan is ... to have regular distribution of the numbers on a quarterly basis so that we are keeping up to speed and providing that information.”
Councillors created a new policy in December 2014, which forbids the city from spending photo radar revenue on anything except community projects and traffic safety. The new policy followed months of public outcry and suspicion the program acts as a "cash-cow" for the city.
Cebryk said better disclosure practices will be part of the city's ongoing education campaign on the photo radar program.