City to launch year-long radar pilot to crack down on speeding in Hamilton

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Published September 23, 2020 at 2:52 pm

The City of Hamilton will be launching a one-year pilot aimed at cracking down on speeding drivers.

The City of Hamilton will be launching a one-year pilot aimed at cracking down on speeding drivers.

In a press release issued Wednesday (Sept. 23), the City said it will be activating its Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras and start issuing tickets to speeding drivers beginning on October 1, 2020.

“As part of the one-year pilot, the City has identified 12 locations across Hamilton based on speed data captured by the City,” the release says.

“ASE camera locations were selected based on data that indicates where speed and collisions have been a problem in community safety zones or schools zones.”

According to statistics, speeding is one of the largest contributing factors in the cause and severity of collisions and pedestrians have a 41 per cent higher chance of survival if struck by a car driving 40 km/hr than a car driving 50 km/hr.

The city will run two cameras at the selected locations over the course of the pilot.

The ASE program supports the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan and the principles of Vision Zero to reduce speeds and overall injuries as a result of motor vehicle collisions.

“Engineering, education initiatives, police enforcement and the introduction of the ASE program in the city will increase the safety of our vulnerable populations in school zones and community safety zones,” said Edward Soldo, Director of Transportation Operations and Maintenance for the City of Hamilton.

As part of the program, the city will start publishing the data they collect throughout the course of the program, including the number of tickets issued at each location monthly. Data will start being shared in December.

“We believe this will increase driver awareness of posted speed limits and significantly decrease injuries and fatalities as a result of motor vehicle collisions,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger in the release.

“This will help to keep our neighbourhoods and roadways safe for everyone.”

The way it works is If a vehicle is detected travelling in excess of the posted speed limit in an ASE-enforced area, the registered owner of the vehicle will receive a ticket regardless of who was driving, the release says.

Offenders will be fined but demerit points will not be applied.

For more information on the ASE program, visit the city’s website.

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