Mississauga.ca - Residents - Automated Speed Cameras

Please review the following FAQ's then complete the survey below.


Automated Speed Camera's - Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the City doing this? What is the objective of the project? In response to concerns expressed by its residents, the City of Mississauga proposes a full-time deterrent to drivers who choose to operate their vehicles at speeds that exceed posted limits, which would endanger the safety of other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists using Mississauga's road system. The City of Mississauga plans to introduce automated speed cameras as a supplement to traditional police enforcement. The Automated Speed Compliance (ASC) Program will combine increased speed enforcement with an extensive public information campaign and is supported by the Peel Regional Police. The primary objective of the ASC Program is to increase safety on Mississauga roadways by: Increasing the number of drivers who drive within the posted speed limits; Reducing the severity of collisions; and Improving drivers' understanding of the dangers of speeding. The City of Mississauga will monitor the ASC Program to measure its effectiveness and demonstrate the impact on speed compliance, speeding charges, conviction rates, and the severity of injuries which result from high speed collisions.

Where will it be used? Where conventional enforcement is unsafe or ineffective as determined by the Police and statistical data; where there is a history of collisions that can be attributed to vehicle speeds; where there is an identifiable, documented history of speeding infractions; school zones; construction zones; where the residents/public have expressed concern with vehicle operating speeds, subject to assessment and confirmation by City Traffic Operations staff and/or the Police

Why not call the program Photo Radar? Are you trying to deceive the public with the name? Photo Radar was a term developed during the Ontario Provincial Government program that was run in the early 1990's on Provincial highways and cancelled soon afterward following a change in government. The program objectives and application were very different from what the City of Mississauga is proposing. The City of Mississauga proposes this program as a safety tool and has clearly outlined objectives for its use. The name Automated Speed Compliance was adopted in order to emphasize the fact that this program is different from the Province's program that was unsuccessful. The name Automated Speed Compliance has been questioned during the initial public presentations and a new name is being considered and is included in an on-line survey on the City's web site.

Will this be a "cash cow"? Is this program just a cash grab for the City? No. This is a safety initiative. The City's objectives are as follows: Increase the number of drivers who drive within the posted speed limit Reduce the severity of collisions Improve drivers' understanding of the dangers of speeding.

Where will the profits go? The City is not endeavouring to make money. Any net revenues will be used for traffic safety related programs.

Why is the City operating the program and not the Peel Police? The technology is similar to the Red Light Camera technology that exists in Ontario and is operated by municipalities. The City will be supported by the police and will work closely with them to ensure that automated speed enforcement is reasonable.

Will this pilot project replace the police enforcement program? No. This project will be in addition to existing enforcement efforts. We recognize the value that traditional police enforcement provides to the community.

Will the radar units have an operator at them? The exact equipment and operations will be determined through the test project. At this point, it is not expected that an operator will be required beyond setting up the units to start processing.

Will the radar units be mounted on police cars? Who will run the units? Why is the City operating the program and not the Peel Police? This is a City initiative supported by Peel Region Police. It is expected that the mobile units will be on City of Mississauga vehicles (the type of vehicle has not been determined at this point) or fixed locations. The technology is similar to the Red Light Camera technology that exists in Ontario and is operated by municipalities. The City will be supported by the police and will work closely with them to ensure that automated speed enforcement is reasonable.

Does someone review the photograph? Yes. A provincial offences officer reviews every photograph to verify information and ensure that there is clear evidence that the vehicle is in violation. Tickets are mailed to vehicle owners via regular mail.

How will the sites be selected? A committee will select the sites. Peel Region Police will sit on the committee. (see questions "Why is the City doing this" and "Where will it be used" for guiding criteria). Sites will be investigated to ensure that the automated speed camera equipment can be located to ensure safety of the operator and the motoring public.

At what speed will the camera start taking pictures? The speed monitoring cameras will start to record speed violations at a reasonable threshold that would be determined by technical staff working with the police. The thresholds may vary according to the application; for example, a school zone would likely have a lower tolerance for speeding than a major arterial roadway. It is intended to target excessive speeding.

What is excessive speeding? Will this be zero tolerance? Why are we going to penalize people speeding a little bit? We all speed. What will the tolerance be set at? Excessive speeding is significantly above the posted speed limit. This will not be a zero tolerance program. The tolerances will be set through consultation with Peel Region Police. They may vary by the type of roadway and its characteristics (e.g., school zones would likely have lower tolerance than less vulnerable areas).

How much is this going to cost the Mississauga taxpayers? The general expected costs and revenues have been estimated as part of the program development, but the exact costs will be determined through the test project. The City's objective is to reduce speeding. The program might ultimately end up costing the City money to operate.

Who will get the ticket? Are there demerit points attached to a conviction? The owner of the vehicle would receive the violation notice . No, neither the owner of the vehicle nor the driver receives any demerit points. This is the same methodology as the Red Light Camera program that is currently operating.

Is it unfair to charge the owner? No, most provinces in Canada hold the owners of vehicles responsible for their use. If an owner, who was not the driver, receives a violation notice they may certainly have the driver pay the fine or assist them in pleading not guilty.

Why focus just on speeders? Speeding is one of the leading contributors to collisions causing death and serious injury. This technology will help free officers to focus on other contributing factors such as impaired driving.

Is this an invasion of my privacy? Keep in mind that your picture is being taken every time you visit a convenience store, a bank or walk into a mall. That is surveillance - this is not. Everyone is entitled to reasonable privacy; however privacy rights do not protect someone from driving along a public road in a dangerous manner. Any photograph taken would only be showing what every other driver and pedestrian are seeing. There are restrictions on the use of the technology. This information is for the sole use of a safety initiative. Privacy laws, general government restrictions and our own self-imposed restrictions govern it.