Across Canada, speed cameras have proliferated in cities like Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver, sold as vital tools for road safety. Officials promise they curb speeding, shield pedestrians, and prevent fatalities. Yet, a closer look reveals a stark reality: these devices often prioritize revenue over genuine protection, leaving drivers feeling targeted and exploited.
Consider the tactics. Cameras frequently lurk just beyond abrupt speed-limit reductions, ensnaring unsuspecting motorists. They hum along at midnight in deserted school zones or on serene residential roads devoid of foot traffic. In Toronto, over 180,000 tickets flew out in 2023 alone, netting millions in fines. Ottawa's program hauled in $16 million in a year. These hauls far outstrip setup and upkeep costs, funneling surpluses straight into city budgets.
Skeptics, including a 2022 Canadian Automobile Association study showing 60% of drivers view photo radar as a revenue ploy, aren't wrong. High-risk arterial roads—prime collision hotspots—rarely host these gadgets, while low-threat spots maximize citations. Spending on fines stays opaque, with platitudes about "safety enhancements" masking stalled infrastructure and skimpy driver training.
Today, Ontario Premier Doug Ford amplified this critique, announcing plans to ban speed cameras province-wide. Speaking in Vaughan, Ford branded them an "ineffective cash grab" and a "tax grab," vowing legislation next month to dismantle the program his own government enabled in 2019. The move axes over 700 cameras in 40 municipalities, sparked by vandalism spikes—like 17 Toronto units felled recently—and Ford's ire at "revenue-first" cities. In their stead, Ontario pledges funding for speed bumps, roundabouts, and flashing signs in school zones by 2026.
Critics, from road safety groups to opposition parties, decry the ban as reckless, citing a 2025 CAA poll where 73% of Ontario drivers back cameras near schools. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called it "wrong-headed." Still, Ford's reversal vindicates drivers' long-held suspicions.
Speed cameras could aid safety if redeployed wisely, but their profit-driven sprawl bred distrust. Ontario's bold stroke may inspire other provinces—or spark a backlash. For now, it's a win against the fleecing.
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