35 intersection cameras in British Columbia are being upgraded to perform automated speed enforcement in addition to penalizing red light runners.
Between 2012 and 2016, Intersection Safety Camera sites in B.C. reported an average of 10,500 vehicles a year going at least 30 kilometres per hour over the posted speed limit, as detected by red-light cameras, which also monitor vehicle speeds. Speed has been one of the top contributing factors in casualty crashes at these intersections, which have had a combined total of more than 11,500 collisions per year.
The cameras will capture the images and speeds of the fastest vehicles passing through monitored intersections on red, yellow and green lights. The technology uses a high-definition radar for the primary speed measurement and also uses stereoscopic imaging for secondary speed verification.
Each vehicle captured in the system has an associated set of images and measurements containing speed, range and angle (position) obtained from the radar. The cameras will transmit the images and data to the Intersection Safety Camera officers for further review. Those officers will verify the information and confirm that a charge can be laid under the Motor Vehicle Act. The ticket will then be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
Speed measurement accuracy is automatically checked daily. In addition, quarterly testing against an independent speed measurement device confirms accuracy of speed measurement. The device is also tested for accuracy annually against manufacturer’s specification, which is industry standard.
Some drivers feel that this is nothing but a tax grab which I feel is a shallow, self serving view. I'm not alone in my belief either. In his articles Is the Government Fleecing Motorists? and Will Photo Radar do Anything For Road Safety? personal injury lawyer Paul Hergott discusses the projected $72 million / year in anticipated revenue from the new cameras.
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