Toronto speed cameras will start automatic ticketing

Over 50 speed cameras have been installed and on roads in Toronto's Community Safety Zones to prevent drivers from speeding near schools, according to CP24.

Beginning on July 6, the cameras will start issuing tickets to drivers who are speeding in those areas, there will be at least two cameras per ward and they have been installed on local, collector and arterial roads. The locations for installing the cameras were in selected based on areas that had preexisting problems with speeders.

Tickets will issued automatically at the cameras first detection of speeding, regardless of who is driving.

Signs have already been posted to warn drivers that the cameras are present. Fines will range from small to large fines and will be determined by how much the driver has gone over the limit.

• Drivers speeding over the limit by 1-19 KPH will be charged $5 for every kilometre.
• Drivers speeding over the limit by 20-29 KPH will be charged $7.50 per kilometre.
• Drivers speeding over the limit by 30-49 KPH will be charged  $12 per kilometre.

Any driver speeding over the limit by 49 KPH would automatically receive a ticket for $558 with an additional court costs and a victim surcharge of $130. Should a driver be speeding over the legal limit by 50 KPH they would issued a summons to appear before a Justice of the Peace. Potential demerit points will be applied accordingly as well.

In December of 2019, Ontario gave its municipalities the authority to install and operate speed cameras however for the first 90 days they were only issuing out letters of warning to those captures by the cameras. In just the months of February and March alone, Toronto issued out over 25,000 warning letters.

Initially, proper ticketing was to begin in April however the scheduling was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ticketing will now begin on July 6 and data on speeding drivers has been logged since January 27. Since it began over 142,000 speeding incidents have been recorded between January and June 18.

The Community Safety Zone that includes FH Miller Junior Public School on Caledonia Road recorded 37,437 speeding incidents alone since the project began.

The worst speeding incident recorded to date was logged outside of Parkdale Collegiate Institute with one driver cruising at 163 KPH in an area that had a maximum speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour.