The Highway Traffic Act only authorizes the use of Automated Speed Enforcement in designated school zones and community safety zones. A community safety zone is a section of roadway that has been designated through a by-law and recognized under provincial legislation, identifying it as an area where public safety is of special concern (i.e., school areas, parks/playgrounds, excessive speeding, low speed limit compliance, collision history, etc.) A school zone is a section of roadway where reduced speed limits are in effect within 150 metres in either direction of a school property. School zones are designated on roadways that meet certain warrant criteria and are not established at all schools. School areas that are not classified as ‘school zones’ do not have posted speed reductions during school hours but can still qualify for Automated Speed Enforcement when a Community Safety Zone is established that encompasses the school area.
Automated Speed Enforcement is one of many tools used by the City of Ottawa to help reduce speeds and alter driver behaviours with the goal of improving road safety. Automated Speed Enforcement is a system that uses a camera and the corresponding speed measurement device to enforce speed limits. Speed cameras, much like red-light cameras, exist to reduce the risk of collisions. Data from a year-long City of Ottawa pilot study showed that speed cameras had a positive impact on driver speed and safety in school zones:
- 200 per cent increase in compliance with the speed limit
- 11 per cent decrease in 85th percentile speed (the speed at which 85 percent of traffic is travelling or below)
- 72 per cent decrease in drivers traveling at 15 km/h over the speed limit
All revenue generated from tickets issued via the Automated Speed Enforcement program is reinvested into the City of Ottawa’s Road Safety Action Plan program, which uses education, engineering and enforcement to promote road safety for all road users.
