Photo radar approval, are you kidding me...

[GordonH]

I suspect the government's yurn to return to photo radar involves money, for sure. I think they see it as a win win.

They know or aught to know that police in the province are not doing a good job when it comes to traffic enforcement. The techniques and procedures are those of decades ago. Traffic enforcement has always been the ugly daughter of police work,, the dumping grounds for some.

The BC government, has no doubt, approached the RCMP and asked for more enforcement to curb the state of affairs on our roadways and have been met with demands for more money for more police.

In the not to distant past the provincial government IMO walked all over our Charter rights with the IRP (Immediate Roadside Prohibition) because it was cheaper and more expedient to have police short cut through an impaired investigation and find guilt at roadside, instead of increasing manpower (can you still say that ?) and training.

A restart of a photo radar program will be virtually cost neutral, in fact perhaps increase revenue after the purchase of equipment. Likely ICBC will have to process the data gathered and issue the photo radar registered owner summonses with no cost to the government, just you and I through insurance. (the argument will be it will cut down on claims thus those costs will be cost neutral or of financial benefit to ICBC).

The government knows that basic "pay for play" doesn't create the full desired effect that a properly run traffic enforcement program with escalating fines, and driving history review, but know,, just like the IRP that there are those ill-informed citizens with the attitude "well if it stops people from speeding I'm all for it", much like the blind eyes that were not turned to the removal of Charter rights with the IRP scheme. "Well I don't know if it gets drunks off the road..." Yes I agree, you don't know.

The government on the other hand can claim they have taken great steps to curb violations on our roadways. A strict fine for violation system is actually contrary to the Canadian philosophy that law enforcement should not affect the those with less financial resources more than those with lots.

Anyone with reasoning ability should see that finding guilt at roadside with the IRP scheme, is wrong. Even if we ignore the degradation of deterrence the pay for play photo radar system has, asking someone (if they choose) to defend their alleged actions a month or so previous from a speeding violation is once again infringing on driver's rights. Heck I forget what I had for breakfast today.

I’ve always been against IRP’s because I believe everyone deserves their day in court. Now if the police & crown did their due diligence properly, there would be mostly convictions.

Speeding isn’t going away anytime soon, ultimately the only way that would happen is to have governors on every engine.
Highways & most city street should continue to be the responsibility of the police i.e handing out tickets.

As will both agree there is an area were stationary photo radar (not the van on side of the road) would be best served by, that is school zone.
It should be very easy to program the system for school days & hours.

[Smurf]

My SUV shows the speed limits of the road you are on and self driving vehicles can control the speed so they should be able to make governors accordingly so no one will speed. No need for cameras or even officers time to catch speeders. That would be a huge plus for us all. Anyone caught tampering could loose their vehicle.

[Even Steven]

You have never gone over the speed limit ever in your whole life? Really?

I go over the speed limit all the time but do so smartly.

And if I do get a ticket (which I haven't in 10 years) I assume responsibility and don't cry like a little child about govt revenue. Be a man and take the ticket for something you've done knowingly instead of whining like a little b-word how life is unfair. That's what snowflakes do.

[77TA]

My SUV shows the speed limits of the road you are on and self driving vehicles can control the speed so they should be able to make governors accordingly so no one will speed. No need for cameras or even officers time to catch speeders. That would be a huge plus for us all. Anyone caught tampering could loose their vehicle.

Might as well just have your gps upload straight to a government database that can auto dispach speeding tickets whenever Google shows you've gone over the limit. Your license can be auto suspended as well when you have too many points accumulated. Lots of ways to use technology to control public behavior. Instilled fear of viruses is another...

[seewood]

My SUV shows the speed limits of the road you are on and self driving vehicles can control the speed so they should be able to make governors accordingly so no one will speed. No

Hope it works both ways, governors so no one will drive below the speed limit, brake on an easy uphill sweeping corner, continually tap the brakes without any loss of speed, turn at a light or stop sign or into a driveway without turn blinkers activated, the list could go on.

I don't mind photo radar at intersections. Just might reduce crashes and perhaps stop the annual increase in insurance premiums.

[OKkayak]

perhaps stop the annual increase in insurance premiums.

[spooker]

Came across this study into the history of the "85% speed limit setting" practice ...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0361198120928995

While most observers trace the rule to safety research and a 1964 report, we find that the 85th percentile rule actually emerged decades earlier amidst the nascent traffic engineering profession’s preoccupation with “traffic service” to increase vehicular throughput; and with respect to safety, the rule was explicitly intended as a starting point in speed limit setting, and not the last word.

Working on getting full access to the whole thing ...

[Ken7]

Here in Alberta everyone knows where the cameras are located across their city.

The real issue is the random police on the side of the road that will give you $80 fine for going literally 1km/hr over the limit.

Have you ever been ticketed for 1 km over? You can pull any make of vehicle off the road and you will find the factory tires and speedometer are NOT perfect.

I'm calling you on this one.

[Ken7]

Not taking the photo, or a photo from the front wasn't an oversight, it was a privacy concern.

Micro testicle syndrome.

And before you go at me ..."why would they think it was a privacy issue" I don't know and don't agree that it is.

Photo radar was used in Alberta, up until a MLA got caught with a blonde sitting tight to his right. Then it became a privacy issue.

Reality is, you can be photographed in your backyard. The only safe zone is your home. The people complaining about privacy are the ones who can't obey traffic laws. As someone stated it's all about time management.

[Ken7]

I hope they put Photo Radar all over the *bleep* place, it's an honest buck.
No shame in the government raising cash on the backs of speeders.

Photo Radar is far more honest than the ICBC sham.

They should hit up intersections, that is where most accidents occur and few obey the lights. It is terrible in this City.

[my5cents]

It's high time BC revamped it's entire traffic enforcement procedures, policy and driver assessments.

Photo radar is a good example of a giant step backwards. It's a good tool for slowing traffic in chronic speed locations, (using permanent, advertised radar locations) but as an overall tool, if used it replaces the principle of a coordinated traffic enforcement plan with ongoing driver assessments. Breaking a traffic law should not be a simple monetary transaction, like a parking ticket.

For starters take traffic enforcement planning completely away from police departments. They should be told how and what offenses they should be targeting and how to do it.

Real statistics should be generated from police action not the fiction we see.

Allowing police to pick and chose what they perceive is a good reason to conduct investigations is wrong. For example, issuing tickets for violations that might cause a collision, all the while refusing to investigate collisions, where likely a violation has now caused a collision is ridiculous.

[zoo]

It's high time BC revamped it's entire traffic enforcement procedures, policy and driver assessments.

Photo radar is a good example of a giant step backwards. It's a good tool for slowing traffic in chronic speed locations, (using permanent, advertised radar locations) but as an overall tool, if used it replaces the principle of a coordinated traffic enforcement plan with ongoing driver assessments. Breaking a traffic law should not be a simple monetary transaction, like a parking ticket.

For starters take traffic enforcement planning completely away from police departments. They should be told how and what offenses they should be targeting and how to do it.

Real statistics should be generated from police action not the fiction we see.

Allowing police to pick and chose what they perceive is a good reason to conduct investigations is wrong. For example, issuing tickets for violations that might cause a collision, all the while refusing to investigate collisions, where likely a violation has now caused a collision is ridiculous.

Agreed, what they have been doing hasn't proven not to be successful. Enforcement needs to go to a private policing force. Any traffic violation is targeted not just the usual speeding. Also increase the fines substantially. A fine of $400 for a kid with a Lambo that dad bought for him is not a deterrent.
They should include the above in a test city and actually let it prove itself. Traffic enforcement is not dealt with, period, its a joke.

[Ken7]

Agreed, what they have been doing hasn't proven not to be successful. Enforcement needs to go to a private policing force. Any traffic violation is targeted not just the usual speeding. Also increase the fines substantially. A fine of $400 for a kid with a Lambo that dad bought for him is not a deterrent.
They should include the above in a test city and actually let it prove itself. Traffic enforcement is not dealt with, period, its a joke.

Are you kidding? enforcement to a prive force. Well if that is how you see, it replace the RCMP. Sadly I've seen it, a traffic violation in front of members. They do nothing, as far as I'm aware it is the duty of each member of the Kelowna Detachment to police, and that includes traffic.

IF each of them took and wrote just two tickets per/12 hour shift you would begin to see a difference. Right now it appears they only have a designated traffic division and regular members ignore it.

[liisgo]

Are you kidding? enforcement to a prive force. Well if that is how you see, it replace the RCMP. Sadly I've seen it, a traffic violation in front of members. They do nothing, as far as I'm aware it is the duty of each member of the Kelowna Detachment to police, and that includes traffic.

IF each of them took and wrote just two tickets per/12 hour shift you would begin to see a difference. Right now it appears they only have a designated traffic division and regular members ignore it.

Yes, like calgary, vancouver. RCMP although can and could start an aggressive traffic enforcement program, not just the speed ones we see here, but they will not. Traffic enforcement is almost never seen in this town, so expecting it to change is a waste of time. Whats so wrong about Calgary and vancouver traffic enforcement police? How are they so much worse?
Its not working so something needs to change.

[GordonH]

Are you kidding? enforcement to a prive force. Well if that is how you see, it replace the RCMP. Sadly I've seen it, a traffic violation in front of members. They do nothing, as far as I'm aware it is the duty of each member of the Kelowna Detachment to police, and that includes traffic.

IF each of them took and wrote just two tickets per/12 hour shift you would begin to see a difference. Right now it appears they only have a designated traffic division and regular members ignore it.

Yes, like calgary, vancouver. RCMP although can and could start an aggressive traffic enforcement program, not just the speed ones we see here, but they will not. Traffic enforcement is almost never seen in this town, so expecting it to change is a waste of time. Whats so wrong about Calgary and vancouver traffic enforcement police? How are they so much worse?
Its not working so something needs to change.

Those are not private police forces, they are public paid by the taxpayers of Vancouver & Calgary. aka City police force