Calgary Adds Green Light Speeding Cameras (make money money post)
Just wanted to follow up with our last post. Calgary released their results from the month long study of their new green light speeding cameras as follows:
-Calgary Police Services mailed more than 700 warnings from TWO city intersections.
-Starting April 1, 2009, motorists will have to start paying for these infractions (I know I know, I am a little behind on this post!)
-Speeding tickets will range from $60 to $350.
-Eventually 40 of the city’s 44 red-light cameras will be modified to catch speeders
(The above data was collected from the Calgary Herald Online)
I did some rough math on this study. Basically, drivers in Calgary will get 350 tickets/month at each intersection. Let’s say the average ticket price is $150 . . .350*150=$52,500/month/intersection. If you total this up over the 40 proposed intersections it amounts to ticket revenue = $25.2Million/yr! Make money money!
Sounds more like a Big Brother cash grab than a speeding deterrent to me!
Counter arguments include the fact that speed kills. This is a true fact, so if more drivers are consciously driving safely, we might be able to avoid more deadly collisions in which case I am all for them. The only problem is, the majority of drivers see a photo radar ticket as simply a speeding tax that is all part of the game in getting from point A to point B the quickest!
October 7th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I agree, another money grab by the city.
There is no evidence that speed kills. Disparity in speed makes collisions deadlier. Unskilled and intoxicated drivers traveling at speed kill (any speed really). Europe has faster roads without more deaths. They also require more driver training, something all that money would better be spent on. It is illegal to drive 15km under the speed limit on a highway, yet I see it all the time, often where cops are in view and nothing is done. That is more dangerous than speeding.