Ottawa drivers slow down for speed cameras, but many speed up immediately after

Ontario’s premier wants municipalities to ditch photo radar cameras. CTV’s Tyler Fleming took a radar gun to see if they’re actually slowing people down.

Valerie Vasbinder watches cars slow to a crawl in front of the speed camera near her children’s elementary school in Riverside South, then speed up as soon as they have passed it.

“As a mom of two growing up with the kids going to this school, the camera has meant people aren’t pulling 60 or 70 miles per hour down the straightaway as little kids are trying to cross. It’s helped,” she says. “But there are three schools on this part of Spratt Road and you’ll watch the cars speed all the way across, get to the stop sign, do the 40 in front of the camera and speed back up until they hit the next stop in front of the next school and just keep speeding through.”

Vasbinder says automated enforcement cameras have made the road safer but worries they’re becoming more of a money maker when placed in areas without schools.

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“I would say keep them in front of the schools for sure,” she says. “I don’t think they need to be everywhere because it is a bit of a cash grab.”

Her comments come as Ontario Premier Doug Ford calls on municipalities to scrap photo radar, calling the devices “nothing but a tax grab.” Ford warned Tuesday the province is prepared to help municipalities remove the cameras this fall if they don’t do so on their own.

Ottawa currently operates 60 automated speed enforcement cameras and is slated to install another 24 by the end of the year. Between January and July, 190,439 speeding tickets were issued through the program.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says combating speeding is a top priority for residents and points to data showing the cameras do work, adding they can be more cost effective then having police officers performing speed checks.

“Since it was introduced by the provincial government in 2017, automated speed enforcement has proven to be an effective tool to combat speeding when used appropriately. Results show it leads to reduced speeds, and it allows police to redeploy resources to other priorities,” Sutcliffe says. “However, we are always open to ideas and look forward to working with the province to improve our approach to reducing speeding and improving safety.”

City statistics show compliance with the speed limit rises significantly after a camera is installed. But spot checks by CTV News using a radar gun found many drivers quickly returned to higher speeds once they’re outside a camera’s view. This was recorded along Spratt Road, as well as on Bronson Avenue and Riverside Drive near Mooney’s Bay.

Drivers interviewed were split on whether the cameras are about safety or revenue. “They do work. I’ve seen it,” says one commuter. Another called the program “crazy” after saying he received a $70 ticket for going nine kilometres an hour over the limit.

For Vasbinder, the answer is to keep cameras where they slow drivers at the most vulnerable spots.

“They’re good in front of the schools because it is a safety concern,” she says.