CALGARY: The two-year pilot project kicked off on Monday with five operational cameras at high-speed locations, one each in Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw and at two highway locations. All photo speed enforcement cameras in the province are expected to be live by the end of the week.
It goes back to 2012, (which) was a really, really bad year in the province for the number of fatalities and injuries and something needed to be done about that, Brinkworth said.
Last year, speed was a contributing factor in 2,645 collisions, injuring 1,217 people and killing 30 people. Elizabeth Popowich, Regina Police Service spokeswoman, believes the signage should be ample indication for drivers from the city. Kelley Brinkworth, SGI spokeswoman, said collision statistics show that this program was needed in Saskatchewan.
The pilot project was recommended by the all-party Special Committee on Traffic Safety. There will be a two-month adjustment period during which time drivers caught speeding will be mailed a warning letter instead of a ticket.
Brinkworth said the rotating cameras at school zones, Ring Road in Regina and Circle Drive in Saskatoon will keep drivers’ speeds down for the entire stretches and in school zones, regardless of where the camera is located at the time. Brinkworth said the end of warning letters will be two months from when the school zone cameras are live.
