COLUMN: Photo radar vs. speed bumps

Talk about full circle. When photo radar cameras came out in the mid-1990s on major Ontario highways under the Bob Rae government, I hated them.

Despite the hatred, my wife and I only got one ticket due to photo radar during the 11-month period it was operational. Yeah, it was me, going too fast on Highway 401 during a trip from Chatham back to our then-home in Lindsay.

I had wealthy acquaintances who were indifferent to the photo radar. One drove a Porche and lit the damned things up at night like a strobe light at a rock concert. He had the cash; he didn’t care.

But I do recall how traffic on Hwy. 401 had slowed somewhat. Suddenly 110 km/h in the 100 km/h zone was the norm, rather than 120 or 130.

Bob Rae’s NDP government brought it to life in 1994. Did it make our roads safer? Debateable. Was it a cash grab? Most certainly.

It arrived with a cost of $4.5 million. In its first four months, it delivered $19 million in fines.

So, yeah, it was a successful cash grab.

Mike Harris became premier in 1995 and out went the photo radar.

But he left the door open for municipalities to establish their own, if they so wished. Many did.

But now Premier Doug Ford plans to abolish them. His government will bring in legislation to ban municipalities from putting up those cameras that capture your plate and issue the tickets.

We didn’t experience it here in Chatham-Kent, but other folks that endure the municipal versions are happy to see this proposal come forward.

As for myself, I’m largely indifferent. But…I’d prefer it to some of the alternatives Ford is suggesting municipality’s use.

Included in that bag of tricks are speed bumps.

I (expletive deleted) hate speed bumps.

Not the ones in the parking lot that houses the Real Canadian Superstore and Walmart on St. Clair Street. Those gentle bumps force you to slow down but don’t threaten your suspension system.

No, I’m talking about speeds bumps akin to the tire killers in Thameslea Plaza. Those things will jar your fillings loose.

For the love of driving, there should be some form of consistent requirements over the construction of speed bumps.

Also on Ford’s list of alternatives to photo radar are…the dreaded roundabouts. Yeah, they’ll slow drivers down all right, or send them into orbit over the roundabout’s island, or cause sideswipes, road rage and clogged intersections.

They work in Europe, the so-called experts say. But consider the impact here in Chatham-Kent. Our drivers – our bad-habit-infused drivers – and roundabouts. It won’t make for a good combination.

Yes, the municipality just celebrated the opening of the new roundabout at the intersection of Queen’s Line and Merlin Road. Expect a hike in fender benders there in the short-term, but admittedly it should be at lower speeds. Then again, the drivers who have been distracted enough to miss stop signs on Merlin Road in the past, could remain distracted and become airborne over that island.

We’ll see.

As I said, I’ve aged to the point I really don’t speed excessively. Photo radar, depending on how it is tuned, would not be much of a factor for me, if any.

My cruise control used to be set to 120 km/h in 100 km/h zones. Not so much anymore. I prefer fuel economy and enjoying the trip to blasting down the road, hell bent on the destination.