Speed cameras show promising early results in school zones, town reports
Early results from the Town of Newmarket's Community Safety Camera Program show driver's are hitting the brakes, with a notable reduction in speeding near schools, with officials hopeful the trend continues to accelerate.
The initiative launched in 2024 and uses automated speed enforcement cameras in community safety zones around schools. The Town says the goal is to make roads safer by discouraging speeding, especially where children are likely to be walking.
Initial data collected since the cameras went live shows average speeds have dropped from 47 km/h to 37 km/h in areas where the posted speed limit is 40 km/h — a 23 per cent reduction. The Town also reports the number of vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit has dropped by 73 per cent compared to data collected before the cameras were installed.
'I am happy to see that speeding has decreased in Newmarket, thanks to the Community Safety Camera Program,' said Mayor John Taylor. 'Preliminary data has shown early success in improving driver behaviour and enhancing road safety. Newmarket streets are now even safer with the use of automated speed cameras, coupled with the Town's other traffic management measures.'
In the program's early stages, the Town issued over 2,500 warning letters in September 2024, giving drivers time to adjust their habits before fines were imposed. Since October 2024, roughly 13,709 tickets have been issued.
The highest recorded speed so far? A startling 113 km/h — nearly three times the speed limit — in a 40 km/h school zone.
Town officials caution that the data reflects fall and winter driving, when snowy and icy roads tend to make drivers more cautious. As such, these early numbers might not capture the full picture. A more comprehensive report is expected to go before council in 2026.
There are currently 14 pole-mounted speed cameras set up in school zones across all seven wards in Newmarket. Locations include Stonehaven Avenue, Gorham Street, Wayne Drive, Longford Drive, Queen Street, Savage Road, and Woodspring Avenue, among others.
Tickets arrive by regular mail within 30 days of the offence. While the penalties involve fines, no demerit points are added to a driver's record. The Town reminds residents that it does not request payment by phone, email, or text message — only by letter mail.
'As always, our goal is not to ticket drivers. We want everyone to understand the dangers of speeding, especially near schools where children are travelling. Please keep Newmarket streets safe and do not speed,' the mayor added.
York Region runs a separate Automated Speed Enforcement Program. The Town of Newmarket's system operates independently.
Town officials remain optimistic that the safety improvements will continue as the program matures. In the meantime, they urge motorists to stay alert behind the wheel, especially in areas where children are on the move.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
37 minutes ago
- CBC
At this Winnipeg school, every day is Indigenous Peoples Day
Niji Mahkwa School, a grassroots-founded school, has been operating in Winnipeg's North End for decades, providing Indigenous youth with a culturally relevant education. On Thursday, with some cake, a makeshift teepee made of branches, and crafts, students enjoyed a day on the Treaty 1 Naawi-Oodena land to learn about and celebrate their Indigenous heritage.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
What's the status of assisted dying in countries around the world? Here's what to know
Britain's parliament voted on Friday in favour of a bill to legalize assisted dying, paving the way for the country's biggest social change in a generation. 314 lawmakers voted in favour with 291 against the bill, clearing its biggest parliamentary hurdle. The 'Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life)' law would give mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less left to live the right to choose to end their lives with medical help. The vote puts Britain on course to follow Australia, Canada and other countries, as well as some U.S. states, in permitting assisted dying. Below is a list of countries which let people choose to end their lives, or are considering doing so. Canada introduced 'Medical Assistance in Dying' in 2016 for those whose death was deemed to be 'reasonably foreseeable.' Five years later, the law was extended to permit people with a 'grievous and irremediable' medical condition to request assisted dying. Opinion: When I provide assisted dying, it is about grace and choice – and that must remain the case Switzerland legalized assisted dying in 1942 on the condition the motive is not selfish, making it the first country in the world to permit the practice. A number of Swiss organizations such as Dignitas offer their services to foreign nationals. The 'Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act' came into effect in 2002. A doctor is immune from punishment for euthanasia and assisted suicide where patients are experiencing 'unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement.' Minors can request euthanasia from the age of 12 but require parental permission before the age of 16. Belgium legalized medically assisted dying in 2002 for the terminally ill and for people experiencing unbearable suffering, which includes patients with psychiatric conditions. Since 2014, those under 18 who are terminally ill are covered by the law as long as they have parental permission. Medical aid in dying, also known as physician assisted dying, is legal in 10 states: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, plus the District of Columbia. Oregon was the first state to legalize it under a law which came into effect in 1997. Voluntary assisted dying for the terminally ill or those with a condition that is causing intolerable suffering is legal in most Australian states, after being introduced first in Victoria in 2019. Spain approved a law in 2021 which allows euthanasia and medically assisted suicide for people with incurable or debilitating diseases who want to end their life. Assisted dying had been legal in Germany until 2015 when the country outlawed its provision on an organized or commercial basis, effectively banning it in many cases. Five years later the country's top court ruled in favour of groups providing terminally ill adults with assisted suicide services, but lawmakers are yet to finalize new rules. Doctors in France have been allowed to put a person who is close to death and in great pain under deep sedation since 2016. But they were not allowed to administer life-ending medication. French lawmakers voted in May 2025 to give some people in the later stages of a terminal illness the right to end their lives using a lethal substance, a law change supported by President Emmanuel Macron. The bill was approved by the National Assembly and is now being considered by the Senate. It could become law by 2027. A cross-party Irish parliamentary committee recommended this year that the government should legalize assisted dying in certain restricted circumstances. A majority of lawmakers in 2024 voted in favour of 'noting' the committee's findings. Steps could now be taken to consider a law change.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Temiskaming Shores mayor discusses New Liskeard fire
Northern Ontario Watch Several homes were damaged, but no one was injured after a fire broke out at a former New Liskeard school which was being turned into housing.
