Study: Traffic Cameras Reduce Speeding, Crashes

A recent study from Canada highlights the success of Ottawa’s automated traffic enforcement cameras, which, at one location near a school, quadrupled compliance with speed limits. Alistair Steele reports on the story for CBC News.

“Last month, the city announced plans to more than double the number of automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras monitoring its roads in 2023 from 17 to 40, and to add up to 25 more annually until 2026, creating a web of ASE zones so vast that it could soon become difficult to drive from point A to point B in Ottawa without passing through at least one.” Rather than focusing on schools and parks, the new cameras will be located in “community safety zones” where speeding is a major problem.

In the United States, where traffic cameras are a contentious issue, more policymakers are recognizing their benefits. While proponents say the cameras can help limit interaction with police and improve road safety, critics caution that the programs can disproportionately impact people of color, in large part because low-income neighborhoods often lack safe infrastructure. 

As Steele points out, Ottawa isn’t alone in its success with traffic cameras. “A systematic review published by the Cochrane Library in 2010 analyzed 35 separate studies from around the world and found average speeds in the vicinity of ASE cameras dropped by up to 15 per cent.” The same analysis also found a significant reduction in crashes, correlating with fewer injuries and deaths, near cameras.