Strong views on speeding
Signs have little impact and cameras may soon be gone
I speed, you speed, we all speed.
Mayor Bob Crate says the No. 1 complaint he gets from residents is about other folks speeding, especially in residential areas.
But we now live in a province where the official government policy is that speeding is expected and the most effective way we’ve found to slow people down is wrong and just a cash grab.
There two underlying factors at play. Surveys show that most people think they are better drivers than average, even though that is statistically and logically impossible.
And most drivers ignore speed limits and drive according to what they think is safe.
This topic has risen to the top of list of things to write about for a few reasons. Last week, Northumberland County council discussed plans to introduce photo radar, aka automated speed assessment, and that sparked some spirited comments.
Secondly, at Trent Hills Council on Tuesday there was a lengthy discussion about speed limits, speed signs and how to get drivers to slow down.
Also, it seems Premier Doug Ford, who has an unerring sense of the public mood, has become pro speeding. The Toronto Star reports that Ford’s government, which in 2019 gave municipalities the right to install photo radar in community safety zones, mostly school areas, will soon revoke that right.
Ford has loudly decried photo radar as a cash grab.
That prompted an impassioned outburst from Crate at last week’s county council meeting.
“It’s not a cash grab. If you don’t speed it doesn’t cost you anything. We need to do something to get people to slow down.”
Crate said that while driving in Hastings, where the limit is 50 km/h he is often passed by vehicles doing at least 70 km/h.
Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander, who is also county warden, wrote to Ford two weeks ago to stress the effectiveness of the lone camera installed in our county.
“I am writing to express my strong support for the continued use of Automated Speed Enforcement in Ontario, and to highlight its critical role in protecting vulnerable residents in Brighton,” says his letter sent Sept. 12.
The camera is installed on Elizabeth Street in Brighton, the main route out of town to the east. “Since the camera was activated in mid-July, we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in speeding violations. Initially, the system recorded approximately 300 violations per day. As of yesterday afternoon, that number had dropped to just 73—a reduction of over 75%. Weekend violations have also decreased by 50%, indicating a sustained change in driver behaviour.
“These improvements are not coincidental—they are a direct result of ASE’s presence and deterrent effect,” Ostrander wrote. “The data clearly shows that drivers are slowing down, making our streets safer for everyone.”
On Tuesday, Trent Hills council had a report on the effectiveness of lowering speed limits and putting up signs to get drivers to slow down.
The short version – signs don’t work. Changing the limit had no impact.
The report by Nicole Cameron, project manager with Engage Engineering Ltd., looked at the experience on Old Hastings Road in Warkworth. In the summer of 2024 the limit on the road that connects CR 25 and CR 29 was dropped to 40 km/h from 50 km/h while it was a detour during bridge work on CR 25.
But residents liked the lower rate and wanted to keep it. Last November council voted to keep the temporary limit at 40 km/h and approved $5,000 for an independent report on the effectiveness of the change.
Councillor Rick English who represents Warkworth has been adamant that residents want the lower posted rate. He said the YMCA daycare now open on the stretch is another good reason to keep the lower limit.
“The young kids have to walk along the roadway to get to a sidewalk so they can get to a crosswalk and then to the park,” he said.
Cameron was on hand to provide that report. It shows that under the Transportation Association of Canada’s guidelines Old Hastings Rd. should have a 50 km/h limit.
“The mere reduction of posted speed limits, without changing the characteristics of the roadway to encourage reduced speeds has been shown to have a minimal impact on vehicle operating speeds,” the report says. “Posting additional signage and/or adjusting the posted speed limit of a roadway are generally not considered to be traffic calming measures.”
The study showed that drivers went about 50 km/h no matter what the signs said.
Councillor Rob Pope said he would like to see a 40 km/h limit in Warkworth, Hastings and Campbellford. All roads in the municipality have a 50 km limit unless signed otherwise.
Roads Manager Neil Allanson said changing all the signs in those communities to 40 km/h would cost about $81,000.
Cameron recommended that if Trent Hills wants to lower limits in certain areas it should develop a policy to set out the requirements for such a change.
Deputy Mayor Mike Metcalf objected to that idea saying he wasn’t interested in hiring more consultants to develop a policy.
The Engage report called Old Hastings Rd. a collector that moves vehicles from one county road to another. Allanson said the only other collector roads in Trent Hills are Second Street, Front Street and Doxsee Avenue in Campbellford. (I live near the intersections of those three roads and can attest to drivers’ lack of attention to speed limits or most other driving rules.)
In the end, council rejected a staff recommendation to raise the limit on Old Hastings Rd. and requested “a report identifying a draft framework to support further analysis of speed limits and sensitive areas within the Municipality of Trent Hills.”
Chief Administrative Office Lynn Phillips warned Metcalf that staff may need to hire a consultant to help with this report.
Allanson said the report could be completed by next August. Mayor Crate noted that would be just months before the next election. So, I can confidently predict you can expect speeding will be an election issue next year.
You can read all Trent Hills News stories on my website here.
Speed Cameras save lives. How many people have died on CR45 each year? OPP should place speed cameras out each day and stay with them. The amount of aggressive driving in the County is very concerning.
I have had thirty one years with the O.P.P in various roles. Back in the late fifty or early sixties there was a Town foreman who was also the Town Policeman in Norwood. He had the distance between some hydro poles and had a chart worked out as to the time it took to get pass the poles. He was armed with a stopwatch and would take the lic. Plate number number if they were speeding. Once a week he would go into Peterborough and the Justice of the Peace would issue a summons by mail.
Do to complaints he had to quit but you didn,t speed through Norwood at that time, his reputation was well known.
Today the speed cameras are effective. It is the speeders that are complaining. If the Premier doesn’t like cameras then he should hire more police personnel to operate hand held speed guns. Typical government do away with something that works cost effective and put up more county signs. Slow the roll.