Canmore to use photo radar to reward drivers

Canmore is putting a twist on one of the town’s biggest irritants: photo radar.

Instead of a costly ticket, law-abiding drivers caught on camera obeying speed limits will have a chance to win a $250 gift certificate redeemable at local businesses.

Town council approved the program as part of a wider safety initiative to promote safety in the mountain community.

Councillor Sean Krausert first suggested the idea after learning of a similar reward system in Europe.

“Positive reinforcement strikes me as an effective and creative way to approach photo radar,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re the only municipality in Alberta — if not North America — that is doing this sort of thing.”

Photo radar was introduced in Canmore in 2007 amid controversy after residents raised concerns about speeding in the town. Officials have since wrestled with how to spend fines collected from lead-footed motorists.

The money sits in a $400,000 reserve and is used to pay for additional RCMP officers. Beginning next year, an additional $12,000 will be used to reward four lucky drivers each month with $250 winnings that can be spent on everything from spa treatments to fine dining within the town.

Funds from the reserve will also go toward traffic calming measures and the installation of pedestrian signals for the visually impaired.

Coun. Joanna McCallum believes it’s important for the town to do something “proactive” with the reserve funds to bolster traffic safety.

“If the idea of a lottery were on its own, it would probably look a little hokey. But it’s only a small piece of the puzzle,” she said.

“The best part is the money gets to stay in our community.”

John Winterdyk, a professor in the department of justice studies at Mount Royal University, said driver rewards are an interesting idea, although research suggests such behaviour modification programs usually have only modest success rates.

But the notion of paying drivers not to speed could be an important step when combined with financial penalties for infractions, an American study recently concluded.

The study — conducted by the U.S. government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — found that speeding was all but eliminated among drivers offered $25 US a week to obey the rules.

It’s a bit different than a photo radar lottery — but Canmore officials say it still amounts to positive reinforcement.

And McCallum believes it will make a difference and help build a safer community for residents and tourists. “Canmore is used to doing a few ‘firsts,’ and I think this is a good one,” she said. “It will be interesting to see how it plays out,” she said.