Alberta's four-year freeze on photo radar is set to expire next month
Alberta’s temporary pause on new photo radar locations is set to expire on December 1 unless the province decides to extend the measure.
The freeze, which has been in effect since December 1, 2019, prevents municipalities from installing new or upgraded photo radar devices or deploying existing photo radar equipment to new locations.
It’s in place to provide police and municipalities with a chance to bring their present photo radar systems in line with new guidelines that were announced in 2021 and to give the government a chance to fully examine data that complies with the new policy.
“Alberta’s government wants to make sure that photo radar technology is used for traffic safety purposes and not to generate revenue,” reads the Alberta government website.
Under the new guidelines, municipalities must:
- Place restrictions on photo radar use in transition zones and on residential roads with speed limits of less than 50 km/h. Restrictions do not apply to school, playground, or construction zones
- Eliminate double ticketing within five minutes
- Mandate that all photo radar enforcement vehicles be clearly visible
- Provide rationale and data to justify the use of photo radar
The province has not yet announced whether it will extend the freeze, which it has done several times since it was implemented.
There are 26 municipalities in Alberta that use photo radar, which was introduced in the province in 1987.
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