More drivers have been speeding in Ottawa’s school zones since the Ontario government banned photo radar cameras last fall. The City of Ottawa has been collecting data at the eight locations where the city first piloted photo radar cameras in 2020. The data, released this week, shows the average speed increased 8 km/h to 10 km/h at seven of the eight photo radar locations between October, the last full month for photo radar cameras, and April. Approximately 70 per cent of drivers were observed speeding at three former photo radar locations in April, compared to only 10 per cent of drivers speeding over the limit last October. The Ontario government passed legislation last fall to ban automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras on roads across the province and required municipalities to turn off the cameras by Nov. 14, 2025. Municipalities need to install large new signs to slow down drivers in areas where photo radar cameras were located, with permanent, large signs with flashing lights to be in place by September. The city initially installed eight photo radar cameras as a pilot project in 2020, before expanding the program. The eight initial locations were According to city data, only 25 per cent of drivers complied with the posted speed limit on Longfields Drive in April, down from 38 per cent of drivers complying with the speed limit in March and 62 per cent of drivers complying with the speed limit last December. The average speed observed on Longfields Drive at the site of the former photo radar camera was 45 km/h in April, compared to 35 km/h last October. Only 24 per cent of drivers were complying with the posted speed limit at the former photo radar location on Watters Drive in April, compared to 23 per cent compliance in March and 38 per cent of drivers complying with the speed limit in December. The average speed observed at the former photo radar location was 45 km/h, compared to 36 km/h last October. At the former photo radar camera location on Bayshore Drive, 31 per cent of drivers were observed complying with the speed limit in April, compared to a 34 per cent compliance rate in March and a 32 per cent compliance rate in December. The photo radar camera on Ogilvie Road had the highest compliance rate five months after the cameras were turned off. The data shows 64 per cent of drivers observed the posted speed limit at the Ogilvie Road location in April, compared to 58 per cent compliance in March and 55 per cent compliance in December. The average speed at the Ogilvie Road camera location only increased 2 km/h between October 2025 and April. At the former photo radar camera location on Smyth Road, near the Ottawa Hospital and CHEO, 47 per cent of drivers complied with the posted speed limit in April, compared to 44 per cent compliance in March and 52 per cent compliance in December. The city had 60 photo radar cameras in school zones and high-speed locations before the cameras were deactivated last fall. A total of 1,143,240 speeding tickets were issued through Ottawa’s automated speed enforcement camera program between July 2020 and November 2025, including 279,595 tickets in 2025 and 383,830 tickets in 2024. ‘It’s not like you can stop on a dime’ Scott McLarens, a Kanata resident who lives in an area where a photo radar camera used to be online, says he often sees drivers speeding. “You can always see speeders going by,” he said. “It’s always been bad along here. There’s no stopping at the stop sign up ahead which I do think is linked to the speeding.” The province has previously said it has provided funds to municipalities to implement alternative traffic calming measures in place of speed cameras, including raised crosswalks, speed bumps and roundabouts. McLarens says he doesn’t see the benefit of these alternatives. “Seems kind of a waste,” McLarens said. “I don’t see any further benefit to it; there’s no revenue gained from it.” Coun. Tim Tierney says the alternative traffic calming measures will not be effective at slowing down fast drivers. “Simply putting speed bumps in is not possible on four lane roads,” Tierney said. “Only being punitive will get actually get people slowing down in front of the schools.” According to Kelly Banks, director of programs with the Ottawa Safety Council, higher speeds lead to slower stopping times. “A car going 40-km an hour actually takes up the length of two tennis courts to slow down, once a driver sees an obstacle ahead of them, thinks to put their food on the break, puts their foot on the break, and then slows down,” Banks said. “So, it’s not like you can stop on a dime.” Sgt. Josh Callaghan of the Ottawa Police Service’s says slowing down leads to less serious collisions. “Reducing your speed has a direct correlation to seriousness of injury, seriousness of the crash — the difference of 5, 10 kilometres an hour can truly mean the difference between saving your life, or the life of another driver.” Compliance with the speed limit A look at the percentage of drivers complying with the posted speed limit at the eight original photo radar locations and the average speed of drivers at the camera locations. Data courtesy City of Ottawa Open Data. Longfields Drive Innes Road Bayshore Drive Katimavik Road Watters Drive Ogilvie Road Smyth Road Meadowlands Drive
