Toronto’s speed cameras issued more than 53,000 tickets in just under 5 months

Toronto’s speed enforcement cameras issued more than 53,000 tickets in their months of use, the city says, and appear to have led drivers to slow down in the areas where they were positioned.

In about four and half months last year, the 50 automated devices led to some 53,090 tickets being handed out, the city said in a news release Friday. Further, as the initial enforcement window continued, there was a notable reduction in both the overall number of tickets issued and also the number of repeat offenders.

The cameras first went into action on July 6, 2020, and all 50 remained in the their original locations until Oct. 31. Throughout November, the devices were rotated to new spots in stages.

According to the city, the data from that period looks like this:

• July 6 to Aug. 5, 2020: 22,301 total tickets, with 2,239 repeat offenders.
• Aug. 6 to Sept. 5, 2020: 15,175 total tickets, with 1,198 repeat offenders.
• Sept. 6 to Oct. 6, 2020: 9,719 total tickets, with 604 repeat offenders.
• Oct. 7 to Oct. 31, 2020, the last full day before staff began moving cameras to new locations: 5,174 total tickets, with 251 repeat offenders.

Throughout November, 721 tickets were issued, the city said.

A speed camera situated on Renforth Drive near Lafferty Street in the riding of Etobicoke Centre issued the most tickets at 5,404. That device was also connected to the single biggest fine issued: $718 to a vehicle owner driving 89 km/h in a 40 km/h zone.

Meanwhile, the most frequent repeat offender was a driver in Scarborough North, who received 17 tickets from a device located near Crow Trail and Bradstone Square.

Data for December, 2020 is expected next month, the city said, and all of the automated cameras are expected to be moved again in the spring this year.

CBC