Driving standards in Toronto are dropping; distracted driving and speeding are commonplace. Just try driving around Scarborough to see. Rather than real enforcement of the Highway Traffic Act, the city has increasingly turned to automated speed cameras to take money out of the pockets of the working man. The war on cars is real.
Some Toronto residents aren’t going to take it any more, and have started vandalizing the automated speed cameras that spread like a rash across the city. Not isolated to Toronto, media from the US to China have reported on citizens destroying speed cameras. In France, the ‘yellow vest’ protesters damaged 60% of the country’s speed cameras over a 3 months timeframe.
Local website blogTO ran an article about destroyed speed cameras, including the comment “A vandalized camera on display at Midland north of Kingston Road, very close to a school zone.”. By sticking to the safety narrative, the author ignores the unreasonably low speed limit designed to trigger tickets.
An earlier article on blogTO explained that a single speed camera on Parkside Dr in Etobicoke issued 1,841 tickets in December (more than all other cameras) and 19,437 tickets in the seven months since it was installed. Is it really possible that motorists in Etobicoke are all speed demons? Or that a road, safely driven at 60 km/h had it’s maximum reduce to 40 km/h, and everyone is paying the price? If the city wanted to reduce speed on Parkside, it could install a protected bike lane, narrow the road, or even add in chicanes. But that camera brought in $2,000,000 in 7 months.
Speed cameras are a cash-grab disguised as a public safety measure.
I have been around. I lived in Brazil, in the USA (Atlanta), and in Canada (Winnipeg), before moving to Toronto. I can tell you, this is the first time I see a speed camera that is close to the ground, basically begging to be vandalized.
Thankfully, some GOOD CANADIANS are taking matters into their own hands and putting these evil machines out of commission
These re not designed to slow traffic. That could easily be achieved by narrowing lanes, putting in bike lanes, chicanes, speed bumps, etc. These cameras are a cash grab.
Drive northbound on Victoria Park from Danforth to Eglinton. Four lanes wide, totally straight road. Instinctively, you’ll cruise at 60 km/h. Everyone does. The city arbitrarily lowers the speed limit to 40 km/h and everyone gets nailed. 40 km/h! That’s slower than side streets…and VP has a 401 ramp!