Michael Taube: Why Doug Ford's gaze has turned to speed cameras
What about the argument that keeping speed cameras hidden in Ontario's municipalities would help ensure that drivers slow down?
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Besides the fact that playing a game of 'gotcha' with drivers is juvenile, it doesn't make much of a difference. While popular navigation systems like GPS and Waze can identify hidden speed cameras and speed traps on certain routes, there are plenty of drivers who routinely ignore these warnings. There will always be drivers who ignore (or have ignored) municipal speed camera signs sitting in plain sight, too. The one silver lining? If any of these individuals get caught driving over the speed limit or worse, they'll be punished to the furthest extent of the law.
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Ford is right to suggest there should be certain exceptions to the use of speed cameras in the province. This includes school zones where caution should always be the better part of valour. That's why speed limits are generally reduced to 30 km/h on Toronto streets located in and around our schools.
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Here's the thing. If you slightly adjust your foot on the pedal or shift around in your car seat, which most drivers do at some point during their journeys, the chances are your speed will briefly go up a few kilometres. This would be caught on a speed camera and, in effect, mean that you've broken a municipal law. An inanimate speed camera obviously can't tell the difference. Are police and city officials going to care or take this into consideration? Of course not. Hence, it's a bit much to expect everyone to drive their vehicles to the point of a basic crawl or get fined. There has to be a certain amount of rational thinking and leniency involved in the decision-making process.
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