Less than 50% of drivers following speed limit at former Ottawa photo radar camera locations
That is the title of Josh Pringle’s article at CTVNEWS:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/le...mer-ottawa-photo-radar-camera-locations/
So what does this exactly mean – beyond the startling headline?
The article has laid out MOST of the details for us by listing the changes in compliance and average speed for the eight original photo radar camera locations. (Since these were the first locations that the Automated Speeding-Ticketing system was installed, they were all worthy school-side locations – unlike some of the later locations, which I would consider ‘dubious’. Also notice that I don’t use the term Automated Speed Enforcement, since the cameras are not an immediate enforcement device, but send a ticket well after the offence took place.)
The missing, critical, piece of information? What the speed limit actually is at those locations.
Look at the numbers – with the speed limit – in October 2025:
Longfields Drive – between Longfields-Davidson HS, PE Trudeau Catholic Elem., & St. Mother Teresa HS
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 35 KPH – 12.5% below the speed limit
Compliance: 91%
Innes Road – for Beatrice-Desloges Secondary Catholic School
Speed Limit: 60 KPH
Average Speed: 54 KPH – 10.0% below the speed limit
Compliance: 88%
Bayshore Drive – at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 34 KPH – 15.0% below the speed limit
Compliance: 88%
Katimavik Road – beside Holy Trinity High School Catholic School
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 35 KPH – 12.5% below the speed limit
Compliance: 86%
Watters Drive – next to St. Francis of Assisi School Catholic School
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 36 KPH – 10.0% below the speed limit
Compliance: 88%
Ogilvie Road – near Gloucester High School, library, & Earl Armstrong Arena
Speed Limit: 50 KPH
Average Speed: 45 KPH – 10.0% below the speed limit
Compliance: 86%
Smyth Road – in front of Vincent Massey Public School
Speed Limit: 50 KPH
Average Speed: 41 KPH – 18.0% below the speed limit
Compliance: 94%
Meadowlands Drive – near St. Gregory School Catholic School
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 35 KPH – 12.5% below the speed limit
Compliance: 90%
Because, it turns out, people were so afraid of getting an automated speeding-ticket, they were creeping along WELL BELOW the speed limit. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes any increase look like a much larger percent.
What are the numbers in May, 2026?
Longfields Drive
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 39 KPH – 2.5% below the speed limit
Compliance: 50%
Innes Road
Speed Limit: 60 KPH
Average Speed: 64 KPH – 6.7% over the speed limit
Compliance: 33%
Bayshore Drive
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 43 KPH – 7.5% over the speed limit
Compliance: 38%
Katimavik Road
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 47 KPH – 17.5% over the speed limit
Compliance: 20%
Watters Drivel
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 44 KPH – 10% over the speed limit
Compliance: 26%
Ogilvie Road
Speed Limit: 50 KPH
Average Speed: 50 KPH – 0.0% over the speed limit
Compliance: 48%
Smyth Road
Speed Limit: 50 KPH
Average Speed: 51 KPH – 2.0% over the speed limit
Compliance: 48%
Meadowlands Drive
Speed Limit: 40 KPH
Average Speed: 42 KPH – 5.0% over the speed limit
Compliance: 40%
Apart from Katimavik (which had an average speed of only 43 KPH last month, so I assume that there was some ‘Stunt Driving’ in May that pulled the average up), the speed has moved back up to what I would consider ‘normal’. Generally, 10% or less over the posted speed limit, depending on the conditions. This accounts for a gradual creep up in speed as drivers spend more time watching for pedestrians and cyclists than watching their speedometer. And 10% is what the rumoured threshold was for the Automated Speeding-Ticketing cameras.
Is there really a HUGE problem?
Likely not. Most people are just adjusting back to how they would normally drive – based on the posted speed limit and surrounding road conditions. That said, I do recognize that the speed limit compliance rates look low – and they are – because the average driver is going slightly above the limit. It would be interesting to know if those average speeds were also around the 85% compliance rate. I expect that they are close. And, of course, those being average speeds means that there are people driving too fast. The article mentions that along Katimavik, 11.3% of drivers in May were “High-Speed Drivers’ – which pulls the average speed up.
I do think that having a system of feed-back for drivers, whose speed may have crept up, is a good idea. Almost everyone would rather get a happy-face than a frowning emoji scowling at them.
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