CHELSEA POWRIE

Saskatoon’s new speed cameras are being accused of being a cash grab, but the potential benefits of this new program speak much louder than the voices of opposition.

Let’s be honest — we’ve all been tempted to speed while driving, especially on wide open roads while others around us are doing the same. That extra 10 kilometres per hour seems relatively harmless and the odds are generally good that a traffic officer won’t catch us. However, starting Feb. 8 in Saskatoon at select locations on Circle Drive and in five school zones, Saskatchewan Government Insurance traffic cameras will officially end their warning period and begin recording data with the intent of prosecuting speeders.

The aspect of the program which is raising the most eyebrows is its aggressive fee scheme. The base price for an infraction is incredibly steep and it escalates quickly with the severity of the breach.

As reported in the StarPhoenix, fines at Circle Drive locations start at $110 and increase by one dollar for every additional kilometer per hour over the limit. In school zones, drivers are looking at a whopping $190 ticket with an increase of two dollars per extra kilometer per hour. What’s more, SGI’s website seems purposefully vague about the level of discretion that will be shown in terms of what amount over the limit will merit a ticket being issued. This is a pretty effective threat — especially as a student — and I imagine it will make a big difference in the attitudes of people frequenting these zones.

A decrease in speeding in these areas is just a means to the project’s end goal, which is a dramatic reduction in speed related collisions and injuries. According to SGI, a similar project in 2011 in Winnipeg resulted in a 24 per cent reduction in speed-related crashes and a British Columbia-wide program in 1996 showed a 26 per cent reduction in fatal collisions.

Considering that the average number of crashes per year on Circle Drive from 2009 to 2013 was 804 — with an average of 193 injuries and one fatality — it seems a reduction on the scale of these other projects is sorely needed. Cost to the individuals involved aside, a reduction in collisions is good for all of Saskatoon’s drivers, since everyone hates getting caught by a sudden traffic jam or a detour caused by a crash.

But how is this project, with its steep fines and aggressive implementation, not a cash grab on behalf of the province? SGI claims its goal for the project is “zero tickets, zero dollars,” saying the program is about safety, not revenue.

While I usually approach blanket statements from government agencies with a healthy dose of skepticism, it does seem that the revenue from this project is clearly and restrictively earmarked. Saskatoon revenues will go exclusively toward more traffic safety measures within the municipality and those from other locations on provincial highways will go towards improvement of province-wide infrastructure.

I wouldn’t even mind if some of the cash raised — which the Leader-Post predicts could be around $35 million per year combined from over eight different locations in Saskatchewan — went towards other needy areas of the budget, such as improving roadways.

Another issue some neighborhoods in Saskatoon — including residents of Glasgow Street and Meadowgreen — have raised is that speed traps and other traffic-calming measures installed in heavy traffic areas merely cause lead-footed drivers to seek alternate routes, disrupting previously calm roadways and community streets. But if the camera program is a success in collecting revenue, the money will be put towards further measures with increasingly extensive coverage, eventually leading to effective traffic control throughout the whole city.

Overall, the project has my support. It is fair to enforce school zones only during posted school hours and even a bit generous, assuring drivers they will face no change in their driver’s license fees or any number of demerits should they be issued a ticket. Money made will be put towards making roads safer for drivers and commuters of all kinds here in both Saskatoon and Saskatchewan.

After all, is asking drivers to obey the posted law really such a shocking request?