Most British Columbians support want lower residential speed limits and photo radar: poll
Most British Columbians are in favour of lower speed limits in residential areas, and using photo radar to catch dangerous drivers.
In Southern B.C., 58 per cent of people were in favour of reducing speed limits on residential streets from 50 km/h to 30 km/h, according to a Research Co. media release issued Dec. 13.
Support for lower speed limits on side streets in Southern B.C. is slightly lower than the provincial average of 63 per cent.
The survey comes after the City of Victoria recently decided to reduce its residential street limits to 40 km/h or lower.
When asked how often they see people speeding on their street, 40 per cent of those asked said they see someone speeding at least once a day, and 30 per cent said they see someone speeding a few times a week.
The next question: how to best enforce new speed limits?
Research Co. found that most British Columbians support automated speed enforcement using speed-on-green cameras, fixed speed cameras, and point-to-point cameras.
“The use of speed-on-green cameras, which is currently in place in British Columbia, remains popular across the province,” Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in the release.
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When asked if they support fixed cameras that track speed as people drive past, otherwise known as photo radar, 75 per cent of people in Southern B.C. said they approve.
Point-to-point cameras that calculate a driver’s average speed between two points also had a 75 per cent approval rate.
Speed-on-green cameras, red light cameras that also track speed as people go through intersections, have slightly less support with a 71 per cent approval rate in Southern B.C.
When an automated camera catches a vehicle speeding a ticket is issued to the owner of a vehicle, but driver’s license points are only issued if the driver can be identified.
Men have a lower approval rate than women for reducing speed limits on residential streets and installing automated speed enforcement cameras. For point-to-point cameras 67 per cent of men approved, while 77 per cent of women approved.
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