Plenty of differing views when it comes to photo radar
By Bill Rea

Calls have been heard lately to have the province re-instate photo radar.

But local provincial politicians are split on how effective, and proper it for enforcing traffic speeds.

Photo radar, which involves taking pictures of speeding vehicles and then fining the registered owners through the mail, was brought in by Bob Rae's NDP government in 1994. It was scrapped soon after the Progressive Conservatives under Mike Harris came in the following year.

The calls to bring the program back have been growing in light of the recent carnage on the roads, including those incidents involving street racing.

York North MPP Julia Munro likened photo radar to the cameras that have been set up at certain intersections to catch people running red lights.

"I don't know how effective they are," she declared. "Do people go to court? Do they fight it?"

Munro added it might be a good idea in theory, but she wouldn't want the result to be police officers being pulled off their jobs to defend more fines in court.

Although it was a PC government (with Munro as a member) that scrapped the program in 1995, Munro said there's more difference of opinion in the party now. "There are members of our caucus on both sides of the issue," she remarked.

Nancy Morrison, who is going to be running for the NDP in York - Simcoe in this year's provincial election, said this issue is a "very emotional" one for her, having lost a nephew to an impaired driver two years ago.

She said she's in favour of bringing it back. "It does slow people down, and that's a good thing," she declared.

But she added the photo radar must be accompanied by increased police enforcement.

She did agree it could be argued that it doesn't address an offence at the time it's committed, or deal with other problems like impaired driving. "It is a deterrent that helps slow down traffic," she said.

Addressing the number of police officers on the job, Morrison said it's dropped to 187 per 100,000 population from 190 in 2003.

"We need to get the officers back out there," she said. "We need to give the officers the tools they need to protect families."

As well, Morrison said chiefs of police generally support photo radar.

York - Simcoe Liberal candidate John Gilbank admitted he's not very wellversed on the issue.

"I'm not generally favourable to reduction of privacy," he said.

He agreed photo radar doesn't sound like much of an infringement, especially since it only applies to people who are breaking the law. But he added quality of life depends to a large extent on the feeling of being responsible for one's self. "Being watched reduces this sense of independence and self-responsibility," he commented.

There's not a lot of enthusiasm among Oak Ridges - Markham politicians for seeing photo radar make a comeback.

Injury and death from speed and racing is the issue, according to Liberal Helena Jaczek. As York Region's former medical officer of health, she stressed the need to "look at all the options."

"I've seen no evidence that photo radar will deter that kind of speed racing," she remarked, adding it might be appropriate for local roads, but not provincial highways.

She also pointed out when it was in effect in the '90s, it was seen as a government money grab by some. Jaczek added there were people who were fined when all they were doing was keeping up with the flow of traffic.

"I've never really been a strong supporter of photo radar," remarked Phil Bannon, Progressive Conservative candidate in Oak Ridges - Markham.

He argued the presence of uniformed officers is a deterrent, stating when drivers see a marked police car, they slow down. "They become very much aware of what their speed is," he said.

"High-profile police presence is a deterrent to crime," he asserted.

Bannon also believes photo radar was a "cash cow."

"Photo radar doesn't have an immediate impact on the offender," Bannon added, pointing out the owner of the speeding vehicle gets the ticket a couple of weeks later.

"The driver is not penalized," he observed. "What real impact does it have on the offender who is breaking the law?"