NEWS RELEASE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE SERVICE
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The South Simcoe Police Service (SSPS) and the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury have launched a speed camera pilot project in Community Safety Zones in an effort to enhance road safety. The automated speed warning project is a first in Ontario to operate outside the province's Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) system. Our system tracks speeders in Community Safety Zones 24/7 and relays information to police in real time. An officer reviews and validates the data before a warning notice is generated. Speeders receive a caution notice in the mail. The system is not punitive and the notice is not a ticket.
This project was introduced through a joint effort by SSPS and the Town of BWG’s Community Safety and Traffic Committee, which works to address concerns within the community about issues including speed limits, parking control and crosswalks.
“As a Council member, the number one concern I hear from residents is about speeding,” said Committee Chair and Councillor Gary Lamb. “The speed camera project in conjunction with South Simcoe Police is one of the most significant tools available to us to tackle this problem. We will also be working on other projects this year to help protect our residents, including a speed hump pilot.”
SSPS mailed out the first batch of speed camera warning notices the week of February 1, 2021. Notices were sent from Angus to Oshawa but sadly, the majority went to residents in and around Colborne Street where the roving pilot speed camera was first placed.
In the first two weeks of operation, approximately 25 motorists were detected speeding. Three were observed on multiple occasions, with 2 being detected 4 times and 1 being detected twice. Every year officers respond to thousands of traffic complaints. Traffic related issues have been and remain a number one concern for both our communities. This project is yet another way the SSPS is reaching out to the motoring public and raising awareness related to speeding in Community Safety Zones.
"We are always looking for innovative and cost effective solutions to traffic management. This system helps police identify “frequent flyers” who reduce the quality of life for those law abiding motorists," said Acting Staff Sergeant David Phillips, who is also a member of the Community Safety and Traffic Committee. "Often police find when investigating ongoing traffic complaints that there are only a handful of people who are part of the problem and often these people live directly in the area."
The warning is not recorded on your driving record. Data from this project will be used as part of an evidence-based approach to future enforcement campaigns throughout Bradford.
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