The City of Toronto’s 50 Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) devices issued 81,557 tickets in the first three months of 2021.
ASE devices are being relocated now to start enforcement at the third round of locations in June. This will help to reduce speeding at more areas with safety concerns, encourage a wide-ranging deterrent effect and raise public awareness about the need to slow down and obey posted speed limits. Warning signs have been posted at all new locations to warn drivers in advance.
The new 50 ASE locations are:
In January, the ASE devices issued a total of 28,231 tickets, with the device on Sheppard Avenue East west of Don Mills Road (Don Valley North) issuing the most tickets at 6,603, or 23 per cent of all tickets. There were 2,457 repeat offenders.
In February, the devices issued a total of 22,860 tickets, with the device on Sheppard Avenue East west of Don Mills Road (Don Valley North) issuing the most tickets at 4,618, or 20 per cent of all tickets. There were 1,688 repeat offenders.
In March, the devices issued a total of 30,466 tickets, with the device on Sheppard Avenue East west of Don Mills Road (Don Valley North) issuing the most tickets at 5,247, or 17 per cent of all tickets. There were 2,501 repeat offenders.
Sheppard Avenue East west of Don Mills Road is a wide arterial roadway with six lanes of traffic and a significant downhill slope. It is also the ASE site with the highest daily traffic volume from the current round of locations. In addition to Automated Speed Enforcement, the speed limit on Sheppard Avenue East in this area has been reduced to 50 km/h in December 2019 to curb speeding and minimize traffic-related fatalities.
Data for April will be released in the coming weeks.
Toronto’s Joint Municipal Processing Centre, which had previously been operating at reduced capacity in adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines, has now implemented an additional evening shift to increase capacity at the processing centre to review and process more incidents than in previous months.
The total payable fine amount includes a set fine, which is determined by Schedule D under the Provincial Offences Act, a victim fine surcharge and applicable court costs. Under Provincial regulations, there is no Set Fine for instances where a vehicle has exceeded the posted speed limit by 50 km/h or more. Instead, a summons will be issued to the registered vehicle owner to appear before a Justice of the Peace.
ASE tickets do not incur any demerit points and do not affect a person’s driving record.
Sites are selected primarily based on data that indicate where speed and collision challenges exist near schools in Community Safety Zones. A map of all current and planned locations is available at https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation/road-safety/vision-zero/safety-initiatives/automated-speed-enforcement/speed-cameras/#location=&lat=&lng=.
The ASE program aims to increase road safety, reduce speeding and raise public awareness about the need to slow down and obey posted speed limits. The 50 ASE devices are installed city-wide on local, collector and arterial roads in Community Safety Zones near schools. Each ward has two ASE devices that capture and record images of vehicles travelling in excess of the posted speed limit. Signage has been installed in advance of all ASE locations so that motorists are aware of their presence.
More information about the program, how to settle fees and how to request an ASE device is available at www.toronto.ca/ase.
Quotes:
“Speeding continues to be one of the most dangerous traffic safety issues in our city. I urge every driver in Toronto to slow down and obey the posted speed limits not only because it’s the law but because doing so saves lives. Speed cameras are a proven traffic calming measure that we will continue to rotate across the city because we are committed to making our roads safer.”
– Mayor John Tory
“Speed cameras are an important component of our Vision Zero agenda. Rotating the cameras to different locations improves community safety for our children.”
– Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park), Chair of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee
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