Grant: Project Grant

Road traffic collisions are a major cause of injury hospitalization and death in Canada and are the leading cause of death for children aged 5-14. Motor vehicle speed has been identified as the key contributing factor to collisions and injury severity. Automated speed enforcement (ASE), also known as photo radar, is an increasingly popular speed management tool in cities. ASE enforcement is a contentious issue in many Canadian jurisdictions, with critics arguing that it serves more as a government 'cash cow' than a genuine public safety measure. ASE is relatively new in urban areas in Canada and their effects on collisions have been understudied Some research suggests that these can reduce speed and collisions, but studies have yielded inconsistent results. It is unclear whether the effectiveness of ASE differs by posted speed limits or neighbourhood-level wealth; poorer areas tend to have higher speed roads, more people walking and cycling and less traffic calming, We also expect that the effectiveness of ASE will vary based on distance from the cameras and time after removal. We will explore these issues in six Canadian cities. We will begin by mapping where these cameras are located in relation to speed limits and neighbourhood wealth using the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation. We will also map police-reported collision data from several years before and after ASE installation. Our experienced team will use advanced statistical methods to compare observed versus expected collision numbers after ASE installation, considering different posted speed limits and levels of wealth. Collaboration with municipalities and key partners will ensure our findings improve road safety in Canadian cities.