Photo radar coming to QEII.

[16hypen3sp]

City of Leduc wants to put photo radar units along the portion of QEII that runs through their city.

Pilot project will last two years if approved by AB Highways.

Goal is 25% reduction in collisions.

...

So, is this precendent setting? If this works, or if they say it works, are we going to expect to see photo radar units on sections of QEII that go through other urban areas that have not seen PR before? (Red Deer, Airdrie)

Or even throughout rural sections of QEII?

Here's the article.

Leduc’s mayor wants to use photo radar to curb excessive speeding on the portion of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway that runs through his city.

Mayor Greg Krischke said the city wants to launch a photo radar pilot project along the section of the busy highway from the exit to the Edmonton International Airport to the weigh station south of Leduc.

Krischke said he isn’t interested in fining people who are driving 10 km/h an hour over the 110 km/h speed limit.

“That’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about excessive speed,” the mayor said Thursday.

More than 100,000 vehicles per year exceed the speed limit by more than 30 km/h, Krischke said, citing a study commissioned by Alberta Transportation in 2015.

The other big issue for Krischke is when drivers speed by emergency responders stopped along the highway. “These are people who are trying to help others and they’re in danger.”

Krischke said between 2010 and 2015, Leduc emergency responders went to 171 motor vehicle collisions on the highway, and a total of 218 events, which includes incidents such as vehicle fires. He said during a three-year period over that time, there were four deaths on that section of the highway.

He cites bends in the road, overpasses, as well as numerous on and off ramps, as factors that increase the danger.

“It’s a portion of Highway 2 that has seen a lot of trouble in the past while,” he said.

RCMP Insp. Kevin Kunetzky said other Alberta municipalities have photo radar on highways that run by their communities, such as Highway 1 in Medicine Hat and Highway 3 in Lethbridge.

Kunetzky said radar would probably be operated out of vehicles parked along the highway.

“There are some varied technologies that whoever the City of Leduc decides to contract for that service can use, but essentially it’s the vehicle on the side of the highway that the public is used to seeing. ”

The city is waiting on approval for the pilot project from Alberta Highways and the province’s Solicitor General.

If approved, the pilot project would run for two years, starting with a multimedia campaign along the highway to warn drivers about the change. At first, speeders would be issued warnings. Then ticketing would begin.

The target is to reduce collisions 25 per cent, as well as near misses with emergency responders.

“If we find out it hasn’t reduced speed or it hasn’t given us a reduction in the number of incidents, then we have to re-evaluate whether this is worthwhile or not,” Krischke said.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/crim...eth-ii-highway

[SKR]

I know most people won't read the article, but 140km/hr is a pretty brisk pace through Leduc.

[rage2]

Originally posted by SKR
I know most people won't read the article, but 140km/hr is a pretty brisk pace through Leduc.

Yea, in winter.

[max_boost]

give me the photo radar ticket over getting pulled over mandatory court appearance etc.

[brucebanner]

I regularly drive from Blackfalds to the YEG airport, 4 times a month minimum. All this will be is yet another cash grab. Everyone knows they follow the flow of traffic on QE2. Which can easily be 130-140 when the weather is good.

Looking forward to seeing more vehicles on the side of the road if this passes, which it likely will.

[J-hop]

Krischke said he isn’t interested in fining people who are driving 10 km/h an hour over the 110 km/h speed limit.

“That’s not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about excessive speed,” the mayor said Thursday...

....He cites bends in the road, overpasses, as well as numerous on and off ramps, as factors that increase the danger...

..... At first, speeders would be issued warnings. Then ticketing would begin.

The target is to reduce collisions 25 per cent, as well as near misses with emergency responders.

“If we find out it hasn’t reduced speed or it hasn’t given us a reduction in the number of incidents, then we have to re-evaluate whether this is worthwhile or not,” Krischke said.

Not going to lie, I saw the thread title and thought "yep just another money grab". But after reading the article I think this is probably one of the most level headed speed trap programs I've ever heard of... No j-hop's of the past out to assert their "authori-tah". At least that is the way they portray it.

[BokCh0y]

Originally posted by max_boost
give me the photo radar ticket over getting pulled over mandatory court appearance etc.

Agreed.

To observe and collect hahaha. Waiting for our new chief to go with this now.

[codetrap]

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[Sugarphreak]

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[BokCh0y]

Originally posted by codetrap
Isn't there already photo radar on Deerfoot? Aka QEII?

Aren't they talking about actual QE II outside of Calgary city limits?

[ExtraSlow]

I have zero issues with photo radar IF it's used as the guy describes. shit, set it at 125 and put one in every town.

[zhao]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
So 171 collisions over 5 years, that is roughly 34.2 per year

So the goal is to reduce collisions by 25%, or 8.5 a year... gee pretty ambitious. Don't try to save the entire world all at once Mayor Krischke

I guess the real question is how many of those can be attributed to, or in some way involve excessive speeding over 30km/h?

Statistics say about 0.5-1.5%. That's a pretty consistent number too across a lot of different studies i've read; 1% give or take a tiny bit of accidents can be attributed to speeding.

The majority of accidents are caused by distracted driving (talking to your passenger, listening to the radio, throwing a cheese burger at some idiots car, eating a bowl of cereal, etc)

Shitty understanding of car dynamics and shitty car control (omgz ice! time to turn the wheel and put the brakes to the floor because stopping saves lives!!!!1! .....and wonder why the car is now spinning and about to roll into the ditch...) can be blamed for the cause of a lot of accidents too, but that subject is taboo in Canada when it comes to causes of accidents for some damn reason.

[rage2]

I'll bet at least half of those accidents are on that bridge in winter. Anyone that's driven over that bridge in winter when it's cold and windy will know what I'm talking about. Fucking skating rink.

[jacky4566]

Originally posted by 16hypen3sp
[B]City of Leduc wants to put photo radar units along the portion of QEII that runs through their city.

Pilot project will last two years if approved by AB Highways.

Goal is 25% reduction in collisions.

No way they are getting a 25% reduction in collisions..

It would be more effective to mandate winters tires and enact better left lane passing laws.

[16hypen3sp]

Interesting video clip by CTV about the proposed PR plan.
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=936807

[pheoxs]

What happens in winter when people are speeding and slam on their brakes to not get a ticket and cause an accident? (Granted they probably shouldn't be going that fast in winter I suppose)

You already see it in the city, people slam on their brakes at intersections or going under overpasses in Edmonton.

[rage2]

Originally posted by 16hypen3sp
Interesting video clip by CTV about the proposed PR plan.
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=936807

I like how that video example of an accident on that stretch is in the exact same location and driving conditions that I described where accidents would happen.

[HiTempguy1]

That bridge section is dangerous as hell, but thats because:

1) People are fucking idiots and drop 20km/h going into the curve
2) That road should be straight

And I don't say roads are "dangerous" just for shits and giggles. If your towing at 110km/h over that section, you better know how to control a vehicle because it can get away on you quickly.

Between the bumps where the pavement meets the bridge, the ridiculously short and completely fucked up merge lanes (merging onto a curve between two bridges, especially one that is short with no straight merge section to gain speed, completely confuses the normal plebs driving), I'm surprised MORE accidents dont happen there.

But cameras will not do anything for that. There is no way this should be allowed.

[codetrap]

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[mzdspd]

This is not about safety.. It is about money.. If you live in Leduc or surrounding communities, you will understand. Leduc has trucks with video cameras that sit at stop signs and record people doing rolling stop.. 380$ ticket. This is not about safety. Leduc county also has lower speed limits with PR trucks on these roads.

That officer can sit there and say that they will target speeders above 1x km/hr + but I don't buy it, it will start that way and then it will turn into Edmonton/ City of Leduc/Beaumont where they nab people doing 5-7 over the limit.

The intersection that they are referring too is definitely dangerous, especially in the winter However, if they want to promote safety at that interchange area, why don't they just slow that specific area to 90 and warn people of the merge lanes. Or just look into redesigning that intersection.

What is photo radar going to do for that intersection? Nothing. Also, if you travel that area between Edmonton and Leduc, typically you see people rear ending each other at the busy nisku ramps, so once again, what is PR going to do to help that? Nothing