Red-light camera enforcement commences
Region says devices have proven history of improving intersection safety by reducing frequency, severity of collisions
Vehicles that enter the intersection on a green or amber signal aren’t photographed because a red light is needed to activate the unit
Niagara Region’s red-light camera program will begin enforcing offences at intersections in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland this week.
Another seven cameras will be online and begin enforcement in the following weeks as the Region wraps up its installation and testing of the cameras in preparation for the program’s start.
Starting Wednesday, the cameras in Niagara Falls at Stanley Avenue and Dunn Street, St. Catharines at Niagara Street and Parnell Road and Welland at Lincoln Avenue and Prince Charles Drive will photograph offending vehicles and begin the process of issuing tickets.
Additional cameras in Niagara Falls at Lundy’s Lane and Garner Road, Welland at Niagara Street and Quaker Road and St. Catharines at St. Paul Street and First Street Louth will become active in the following weeks.
Cameras at Grimsby, Fort Erie, Lincoln and Pelham intersections will also become active in the coming weeks.
The camera in Grimsby is at Christie Street and South Service Road. The one in Fort Erie is at Garrison Road and Pettit Road/ Daytona Drive.
The camera in Lincoln is at Ontario Street and South Service Road, while Pelham’s is at Highway 20 and Victoria Avenue.
A map of the locations of which cameras are active is available on Niagara Region’s website.
A provincial offences officer at a joint processing facility in Toronto reviews camera images to determine if a ticket should be issued.
Drivers making a legal right turn on a red light who come to the required complete stop and record a zero speed at the stop bar also won’t be fined.
Vehicles that enter the intersection on a green or amber signal aren’t photographed because a red light is needed to activate the unit.
A violation notice sent to the registered owner will include two photos, one of the vehicle and an enlargement of the rear licence plate.
No demerit points are issued because the fine is attached to the vehicle and its owner, not necessarily the driver.
A staff report said red-light cameras have a proven history of improving intersection safety through a reduction in the frequency and severity of collisions.
They are particularly effective in reducing right-angle collisions, which often result in injuries and fatalities.
The red-light camera program is a component of the Region’s Vision Zero initiative, which focuses on reducing and eliminating severe injuries and fatalities on the regional road network.