N.L. hopes to launch speeding cameras in 2024, minister says

Digital Government and Service N.L. Minister Sarah Stoodley says the Newfoundland and Labrador government aims to implement speed cameras on provincially managedroads and highways starting in 2024.

The department launched a three-month pilot program in the summer, installingcameras on roads in Mount Pearl and Paradise. Stoodley said more than 94,000 vehicles were recorded going at least 11 km/h over the speed limitand around 25 per cent of them were recorded speeding by over 20 km/h.

"That gave us a lot of really helpful information, and so we're using that now to kind of craft what our long-term solution could be. That obviously involves municipalities, and also a key consideration is how do we reduce the impact on law enforcement," Stoodley said.

Stoodley added the roads where cameras would be installed haven't been decided yetbut suggested they would be in areas where speeding is especially common, like the Veterans Memorial Highway a two-lane highway connecting several Conception Bay North towns with the Trans-Canada Highway.

While tickets largely weren't handed out during the pilot program, many drivers received warning notices that further instances of speeding could result in a ticket.

Stoodleysaid officials are still working out issues that could emerge.

For example, Stoodley said the driver of a vehicle captured by a camera doesn't lose demerit points under the current legislation;the camera only looks at the licence plate, and a warning is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle.

"We are working on how we can craft the system so that it doesn't clog up the court system, and other provinces as well are solving that," she said.

WATCH IThis provincial minister explains why N.L. is installing speed cameras this year:

Say cheese! Speed cameras on some N.L. roads coming this year

9 months ago

Duration 1:05

Service N.L. Minister Sarah Stoodley said road safety and speeding are top issues that MHAs hear about from constituents. Mount Pearl and Paradise installed speed cameras in a pilot project over the summer. No fines were issued, but the cameras caught thousands of speeding incidents on tape. Stoodley said those findings suggest the cameras can make a difference to deter speeders.

Other cities that have implemented speeding cameras, like Toronto in 2020, have raised millions in fines after they were launched.

Stoodley said the cameras aren't a money-making method but are being put in place to limit speeding. Any revenue that would likely go into a general government revenue pool, she added, and could be used to cover operating the cameras.

"Ideally, they're a deterrent. We're not trying to trick people, we're going to have clear signage of where the cameras are. We want people to reduce their speeds," Stoodley said."This is not about making money."

Stoodley said the provincialgovernment hopes to make the technology available to municipalities. The cameras could serveas red-light cameras or be attached to the Stop sign arm of a school bus, she said.

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