A new Ontario driving study shows that automatic speed cameras are (kinda) working

If you've started tapping the brakes when approaching a photo radar zone, you're definitely not alone. New research shows that automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras aren't just issuing fines — they're actually changing how people drive in Ontario.

A recent survey commissioned by CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) and conducted by DIG Insights between March 7 and 19 found that drivers are adapting in two key ways: They're either slowing down or avoiding roads with ASE cameras altogether. Either way, the cameras are forcing people to think twice about their driving.

The poll included 1,500 Ontario drivers aged 18 and up, and the findings show both increased enforcement and some promising behavioural shifts.

According to the survey, 40% of drivers across the province admit to having sped at least once in the past year, and 23% of drivers reported receiving a ticket from a speed camera, up from 17% the previous year.

But 73% of respondents said they now slow down when approaching a camera, and 52% say they're unlikely to speed up again after passing it — a noticeable jump from 44% in 2023.

Meanwhile, 46% of Ontario drivers say they purposely avoid routes with speed cameras entirely.

Despite the rise in ticketing, public support for the technology remains solid. According to the survey, 73% of drivers back the use of ASE in school zones and near community centres, and 76% believe the cameras are effective at deterring speeding overall.

Still, not everyone is happy with how the rollout is going. In June, the City of Vaughan paused its new ASE program after more than 32,000 tickets were issued in just three weeks. Officials voted to suspend enforcement until September to review the program's implementation.

In Toronto, City Councillor Anthony Perruzza brought forward a motion aimed at making the system fairer, suggesting warnings for first-time offenders, reviewing hours of operation and improving signage.

City Council ultimately defeated the motion, but Mayor Olivia Chow successfully passed a separate proposal requiring larger, more visible signs to be put up wherever new ASE cameras are installed.

Elsewhere in the city, resistance has turned destructive. Five cameras across Toronto were vandalized in a single 24-hour span in late June.

Meanwhile, the Parkside Drive speed camera, located on a fast-moving stretch near High Park, has been vandalized six times since November. That camera alone has issued more than 67,000 tickets and racked up over $7 million in fines since its installation in 2022.

So while ASE cameras have their detractors, the survey shows they are changing the way people drive.

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