Drivers beware: Big Brother is here to stay

The 18-month pilot project starts up May 19 but actual fines will only be mailed out after a three-month ‘free’ introductory period. Since the identity of drivers cannot be confirmed, and in hopes of avoiding legal challenges, Quebec will not issue demerit points with tickets given out with photo radar or red light cameras.

Even if you don’t think this is a Big Brother-style cash grab and truly believe road safety is a priority for the government, once the money starts flowing in, you know Quebec will be transfixed and will decide to turn this pilot project into a permanent tool.

It will be interesting to see if road safety is improved overall. If the photo radar and red light cameras are as well indicated as proposed, it is possible in some cases that hurried motorists will take alternative routes and thus shift the problem elsewhere so a drop in accidents at one of the designated areas may not have that great of an impact on overall safety.

The provincial project is being set up in 15 locations deemed to be dangerous, including six in downtown Montreal as well as one on Highway 20 in Pincourt. If they were to be set up in the West Island, based on safety concerns, red light cameras would be ideal on the always busy St. John’s Boulevard near the Fairview Pointe Claire and Complexe Pointe Claire shopping centres. Anywhere on Pierrefonds Boulevard could be a good site for photo radar. Even if photo radar is not to your liking, it may be a better solution to curb speeding on residential streets to those annoying humps and bumps that pop up regularly on roads in towns such as Dollard des Ormeaux, Kirkland and Ste. Anne de Bellevue.