this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2026
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76
Ottawa sees dramatic drop in speed compliance after photo radar scrapped (www.ctvnews.ca)
submitted 3 days ago by sbv@sh.itjust.works to c/canada@lemmy.ca
31 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/53463841

Before the cameras were installed four years ago, roughly 17 per cent of motorists followed the posted speed limits. ... In the last year before the cameras were banned, compliance reached 87 per cent.

Within a week of the cameras’ removal, that fell to 62 per cent, and three weeks later, it had dropped to 50 per cent.

...

Carlucci says it’s time for drivers to reflect and consider one simple question.

“Why are you speeding in a school zone?”

top 31 comments
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[–] RaskolnikovsAxe@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They botched the rollout.

When you introduce new technology you have to get buy in from the users. That means transparency (open publishing of error models, printing speed error on the tickets issued), warning periods for a driver during which tickets are issued but without payment required (eg first ticket is a warning), and there should have been regulations against municipalities putting them everywhere, even in places that were nowhere near schools or other CSZ buildings.

If they had put in a bit of care, they could have built goodwill without giving the impression right out of the gate that it was a cash grab and if you contest it or ask for details, it's "trust me bro".

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago

That's interesting. I wasn't around during the rollout, so I hadn't heard those ideas.

[–] GreatWhite_Shark_EarthAndBeingsRightsPerson@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago

Bingo, &/getting a affordable speeding ticket does not do that.

Plus, if you live in a community with too many drivers, police bother minorities communities to keep the communities in line & jobs moving farther away from you (both happened in my community) making is so you can speed to make on time to a job or obey the rules & make it to work late, risking firing, what are you going to do?
Plus is it fair to blame you?

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

Elect conservatives get stupid policies.

[–] kibiz0r@midwest.social 27 points 3 days ago (3 children)

People drive the speed they feel is safe. Occassionally, they read speed limit signs. Occassionally, they drive slower after a ticket. But mostly: people drive the speed they feel is safe.

If you want people to drive slower, it needs to feel (not be, just feel) unsafe to drive fast.

[–] danielquinn@lemmy.ca 17 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This is the only correct answer here. You want drivers to slow down? Stop building big, wide, straight roads. You need to add curves with trees and barriers, narrow the lanes, and (gasp!) even remove some lanes. Everything else is theatre.

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The city of Ottawa study shows that drivers also slow down when traffic laws are enforced.

We should definitely build safer roads, but while we're waiting for that, we should bring back speed cameras.

[–] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Enforcement is the issue. If you see everyday on your drive to work dozens of vehicles using the HOV lane when they aren't allowed to, and only ever see a cop pulling someone over once every 4-6 months, how often before you also start using the HOV lane when you aren't supposed to?

[–] pixeltree@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 day ago

Can we not do the whole mass surveillance thing though?

[–] GreatWhite_Shark_EarthAndBeingsRightsPerson@piefed.social -2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No, we need to determine if the speeders are safe enough drivers at the speeds they are driving.

[–] danielquinn@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is sarcasm, right? It's hard to tell sometimes.

[–] GreatWhite_Shark_EarthAndBeingsRightsPerson@piefed.social -1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As a former speeder (changed only because GAS COSTS, NOT TRAFFIC TICKETS, CAUCASIAN MALE & WANTING TO BECOME A BICYCLIST, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT)! & who never caused a accident, though out of anger with another driver & in the zone, for at least 5-blocks in nearby city, passed people like crazy, along with the other driver ahead me (passed me first). I say hell no, who

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 days ago

The stats from the city of Ottawa show that drivers slow down when speed regulations are enforced.

I fully support improving roads to make them safer. In the meantime, enforcement of existing rules seems like a low cost alternative.

[–] healthetank@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Problem is people aren't good judges of what is, in fact, a safe speed.

Edit: the second problem is that making it feel unsafe while not being unsafe (or unfeasible to maintain or prohibitively costly) leaves very few options.

[–] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Absolutely, I have driven with my boss enough to know that he absolutely does not know what a safe speed is.

Especially when a safe speed for you when you were 40 is probably not the same speed when you are 60 but you are used to driving that way.

[–] slothrop@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Eliminating speed cameras is tacit approval of speeding.

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 12 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Building wide straight lanes with huge shoulders is tacit approval of speeding.

[–] Bring_Back_Buggy_Whips@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 days ago

Building wide straight lanes with huge shoulders is tacit approval of speeding.

The invention of horseless carriages is tacit approval of speeding.

[–] GreatWhite_Shark_EarthAndBeingsRightsPerson@piefed.social 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Bingo, for profits, NOT safety.

[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

My area used all the funds generated by the speed cameras to fund roadway safety projects like speed bumps, flexible lane narrowing bollards, and other traffic calming techniques.

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 days ago

I'd say it's an explicit approval of speeding, but I'm splitting hairs.

[–] CForsyth@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Design speed > Posted speed. If you want people to slow down, narrow the streets so they’re worried about losing a side mirror.

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 days ago

The problem is dealing with existing roads. Ottawa probably has thousands of kilometers of poorly designed road. We can't afford to tear it all up to fix it at once. Speed cameras provide a good fix for existing roads that haven't been rebuilt yet.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago

“Why are you speeding in a school zone?”

Because people are selfish assholes. Bring back the damn cameras.

[–] streetfestival@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

My favourite part is that our tax dollars are going towards radio ads about this ON gov't bs /s

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago

Don't forget big speed limit signs!

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The only effect zone for these cameras is the very small area they are visible for. By all means, leave them up, but to think that cameras slow drivers down for anything more than a few meters is disingenuous. Getting a big justice boner over them is the silliest thing imaginable.

Traffic calming measures, actual enforcement with real consequences like license loss, those things slow people down. Cameras are just theatre and revenue models.

[–] healthetank@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago

Studies done up and down streets and in areas with rotating speed cameras show a long lasting impact in the areas most likely to have children crossing the roads.

Its not a fix-all solution for everywhere, but its sure as shit better than what we have, and the revenue from them was legislated to be used TO create those traffic calming measures you want.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)
  1. Put up speed cameras. Remove cops.
  2. Take down speed cameras. Don't put cops back .
  3. With no cops, people drive like dicks
  4. Politicians blame lack speed cameras instead of lack of any enforcement, but it has nothing to do with the big speed camera cash grab.

Anticipate porky speed cameras coming back.

[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I did not notice a drop in officer presence or radar traps in my area while cameras were operating. Sometimes I would even see radar not far from the camera. If anything the culture of cops won't pull you for 20 over or less is the bigger issue.