Despite what a recent debate at regional council may lead you to believe, reckless drivers are not routinely running down children and other vulnerable road users in our community. Yet, even faced with this fact, it’s been determined school zone speed limits should be enforced around the clock, and year-round. Based on examples shared by councillors during the discussion, that means you could still be ticketed on Christmas morning or be fined $180 at 10 p.m., simply for travelling 50 km/h in a 40 km/h school zone. When we think about the dangerous drivers who are a menace on our roads, are we really thinking about the ones travelling at 50 km/h?
Though we know the answer to this, we’re pushing forward with an ambitious photo radar program in Waterloo Region. Councillors will tell us that it’s all in pursuit of Vision Zero, a global initiative aimed at eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. Even at the council meeting, where it was decided school zone speed limits would be enforced all day, every day of the year, Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe made it clear “we’re talking about vulnerable road users, children … people taking their kids to daycares, to schools, to elementary schools. I mean, if you’re if you’re not going to put those people first compared to a car or a vehicle, like, there’s no balance there in my mind.”
These passionate appeals strike an emotional chord even though we already know how many vulnerable road users have been struck by vehicles in Waterloo Region, outside of school hours, in the past decade or more. But this simple data point is never brought to bear during these debates. The region’s own collision report shows us that pedestrian injuries in road collisions have declined in the past 20 years, while being nearly halved between 2016 and 2020. In that same five-year period, the number of pedestrian fatalities, regionwide, was four. None occurred in Waterloo. Further, speeding was “not a significant factor in pedestrian collisions.”
Yes, even one pedestrian fatality is one too many. But if we’re willing to consider the data, we know school zones and speed are not identified concerns. So, what are the true intentions behind bringing 175 speed cameras into the region and using them to enforce a school zone speed limit all day, every day.
The claim it’s for increased safety falls flat when the evidence clearly demonstrates we’ve already achieved Vision Zero during most hours of the day. Logically, then, the speed camera program should be implemented during the hours where injuries are occurring or are likely to occur. Otherwise, the program risks being written off as a mere money grab. Councillors need to be transparent about their intentions or risk a further erosion of our trust. A decision not supported by data is difficult to understand and even harder to explain. We deserve to be treated like adults, not monitored at all hours of the day.
Mike Farwell’s column was originally published in the Waterloo Region Record.
1 thought on “Data Does NOT Support Need for Speed Cameras”