That seems a bit harsh, especially since that’s business as usual here in the Windy City.

repeat after me – photo radar is all about money!!

The following letter appeared in the Toronto Star July, 3, 2007 (I copied and saved it – it was that good). I’ve printed it out in full below:

“When photo radar was introduced by the Ontario government in 1994, the radar vans were only placed on highways exclusively within my area of command as a chief superintendent with the Ontario Provincial Police. However, I had no authority to direct how they would actually be utilized.”

“Brochures distributed by the OPP and the government suggested photo radar would only be used in high-collision areas. In fact, it was placed in areas with no collision experience. We all know these “fishing holes,” and this led me to lodge two internal complaints about the cash grab. Nothing changed.”

“Yes, excessive speed contributes to the severity of collisions. Yet most often there are other factors involved, such as dangerous, aggressive driving, racing, following too closely, and cutting in and out of traffic. As police officers, we do the public a disservice by intensifying our dependency on radar and speeding offences, rather than trying to find other aggressive drivers. But radar is easy to do and makes it easy to secure a conviction.”

“The dilemma government faces is simple: Once it approves the use of photo radar, it has no say in how the police will use it, and every police service needs money. The Rae government failed to realize this, and many motorists were dissatisfied with how it was being used.”

“There can be a role for photo radar, provided the police are carefully regulated in how it is used. I prefer to live in an Ontario where police practise the spirit of the law rather than simply the letter of the law. There are times when motorists travelling at 112 km/h on Highway 401 are doing the right thing. Photo radar may not see it that way.”

Bill Closs, Chief of Police, Kingston, Ont.

At that speed, among not-so-skilled drivers who would slam on the brakes if someone cut them off or cut in front of them with inches to spare, keeping things calm was appreciated. Of course, I was driving a Toyota Van at the time, so I valued predictable traffic because that vehicle was wholly unsuited to avoidance maneuvers.

Now, that said, the process behind it’s implementation in Alberta has been dirty. The technology is sound, if it’s implemented well, but it should never, ever be incentivized.