Photo radar could soon be back in Ontario.
Premier Kathleen Wynne announced on Tuesday that new legislation, if passed, would allow municipalities in the province to install photo radar near schools.
"We have seen too many injuries and deaths caused by drivers who speed and endanger people’s lives. Our intent is to give municipalities more tools to help keep people safe on our roads," said Wynne.
Photo radar, or automated speed enforcement technology, takes pictures of licence plates of speeding vehicles. The owner of the vehicle is then mailed a speeding ticket.
The legislation would also give municipalities the ability to create reduced speed limit zones to cut down on vehicle-pedestrian crashes and ease regulations to join the red light camera program.
The government claims the move is in response to concerns voiced from municipalities looking to improve safety in the wake of collisions involving children and seniors.
The New Democrats first introduced photo radar on Ontario roads in the 1990s. The program was quickly axed by Premier Mike Harris when he came into power in 1995.
London has already moved toward lowering the speed limit in school zones from 50 km/h to 40 km/h for an area that expands 150 metres in either direction from school properties. The reduced speed limits will be rolled out over the next two years. The city will also have ten red light cameras rotating among 22 intersections by next summer.
