Why Automated Speed Enforcement Matters

 Each week, my team and I sit down together to review trends from casework. They share which issues are coming up regularly from residents, and far and above any other issue, we hear from people asking for traffic calming on their streets. Whether it’s near schools, parks, or areas where seniors and families live, speeding is a concern that comes up again and again.

That’s why last week’s headlines caught my attention.

On September 9, sixteen automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras in Toronto were vandalized. On the same day, Premier Ford suggested he would consider forcing cities to end their use of ASE—while also signalling his support for strengthening Ontario’s dangerous driving laws, including immediate roadside suspensions for those charged with impaired or dangerous driving.

Then, on September 15, Vaughan City Council voted to end their ASE program entirely. That story had talk radio stations all a twitter again the next morning.

Don’t look for this to happen in the City of Toronto, and for good reason. The cameras are working. A study by SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University found that between 2020 and 2022, speed cameras with warning signs reduced speeding by 45% in the areas where they were used. That means fewer dangerous driving behaviours, fewer collisions, and safer neighbourhoods for everyone.

Speed cameras are not about generating revenue. They are about changing driver behaviour. Even a small increase in speed greatly raises the chance of severe injury or death in a collision. By keeping speeds down, cameras save lives, whether you’re walking, cycling, or driving.

Cameras also make economic sense. They provide consistent enforcement at a lower cost than relying solely on police officers with radar guns. That allows our police to focus on serious threats, like impaired, distracted, or stunt driving while ASE ensures that speed limits are respected in high-risk areas.

I know that fines can feel burdensome. But the simplest way to avoid a ticket is to drive within the speed limit, protecting both your wallet and the safety of your community. And remember: fines are set by the Province, not the City.

Toronto’s ASE program is part of our Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, and every city implements Vision Zero in its own way. In Toronto, the first step was to reduce many 60 km/h roads down to 50 km/h. Next, downtown councillors moved all of their neighbourhood streets to 30 km/h. By the time speed cameras started to appear, primarily around schools and known problem spots, residents were already aware that change was happening, and that enforcement would be key.

Many of us were shocked with a ticket on westbound Sheppard Ave on the hill west of Fairview Mall, including me. I often drive the entirety of Sheppard Ave in the morning to monitor traffic. I never paid attention to speed limits before that ticket. I just followed the pack, assuming traffic was keeping me in range of the speed limit. Now, I am aware of the speed limits all along Sheppard. That is behaviour change.  

Another part of Toronto’s approach is transparency. The City maintains a publicly accessible map showing the locations of all ASE and red light cameras. If you’ve never checked it out, you should.

The map makes it clear: cameras are evenly distributed across the city. Some people say they’ll only slow down where cameras are located, that’s their choice. However, the absence of a camera does not mean you can’t still be pulled over by an officer. The best way to avoid a ticket is simple: stop speeding and don’t run red lights.

All of this is especially important at this time of year. A low autumn sun can blind drivers during rush hours, and dusk comes earlier and earlier, making it harder to see children and teens crossing the street. Don’t wait for a camera to remind you to be more careful.

One more thought about the ongoing vandalism of the camera on Parkside Drive. This location has been in the headlines because of repeated damage, but it’s important to be clear: this vandalism is a crime. Police are actively investigating those responsible, and in the meantime, they are augmenting enforcement alongside the cameras to ensure drivers still face consequences for speeding.

This is not some petty act of mischief. By disabling a safety tool, the vandalism puts real people at risk. Parkside is an arterial road that too often functions like a high-speed on-ramp to the Gardiner, despite being lined by homes in a deeply residential neighbourhood. Over the past decade, the street has seen nearly 1,500 collisions, five serious injuries, and two fatalities (both of which occurred before cameras were installed).

Traffic calming measures and a new signalized intersection have been added, but these improvements cannot do the job alone. Speed still needs to be enforced, and both police officers and cameras are working to do so until further road redesigns can be delivered. The focus should not be on the damage done to equipment, but on the lives at stake and the very real tragedies that made enforcement on Parkside necessary in the first place.

So while some municipalities may step away from speed cameras, Toronto will not. The calls I get from residents asking for more to be done to calm traffic tell me that this is the right choice. Slower speeds save lives.

ASE is making that happen.

Read the Full E-Blast Here