The Provincial Government continues to work closely with its community partners, including municipalities and law enforcement, to raise awareness and educate people about the importance of road safety and safe driving practices.
Today, the Honourable Sarah Stoodley, Minister of Digital Government and Service NL, and the Honourable John Hogan, KC, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General, announced the Provincial Government’s multi-phased approach to implement speed cameras in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Minister Stoodley will be available to the media to discuss the multi-phased approach today (Monday, May 27) at 11:30 a.m. in the East Block Lobby of Confederation Building.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued in the coming months for a vendor which will be responsible for the management, maintenance, and installation of speed cameras, as well as the issuing of tickets. The vendor will be authorized to issue a ticket to the owner of any registered motor vehicle that is speeding excessively as determined by a speed camera.
This enforcement approach will also later be used to identify vehicles speeding through construction zones and school zones, vehicles passing school buses that are stopped with the school bus stop arm extended, and red-light infractions.
To facilitate this process, legislative changes to the Highway Traffic Act and the Provincial Offences Act will begin second reading in the House of Assembly today.
Amendments to the Highway Traffic Act would authorize the vendor as a traffic compliance officer with the powers of a peace officer for the purpose of enforcement using a speed camera. Amendments to the Provincial Offences Act would provide the vendor authority to serve these tickets electronically.
Speed cameras do not identify who is driving at the time of the violation, meaning tickets can only be issued to the registered owner of the vehicle. Demerit points cannot be issued. The Fines Administration Division with the Department of Justice and Public Safety will collect amounts owing on these tickets, using processes that already exist. Under this approach, those who fail to pay their tickets would also be subject to the same enforcement currently being used, including the inability to renew their driver’s licence and/or vehicle registration until all fines are paid. Tickets may be contested in Traffic Court, as per current processes.
To begin, 10 cameras will be installed.
The implementation of speed cameras in Newfoundland and Labrador follows the results of a successful pilot project completed with the City of Mount Pearl and the Town of Paradise in summer 2023. About 93,721 vehicles were captured speeding 11 kilometres/hour or more over the posted speed limit, of which 21,958 were speeding 20 kilometres/hour or more above the limit.
Quotes
“We need to change the driving culture in Newfoundland and Labrador. Speeding poses a significant public safety danger and leads to preventable accidents. Traffic camera enforcement is a safe and effective way to improve road safety in our communities and on our provincial roadways.”
Honourable Sarah Stoodley
Minister of Digital Government and Service NL
“The results of the traffic camera pilot project show that more can be done to curtail speeding and uphold public safety on our roadways. Through the use of image capturing enforcement, we are breaking new ground with a public safety tool that will help deter aggressive driving, reduce speeding and increase the safety of provincial roadways.”
Honourable John Hogan, KC
Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General
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Learn more
Traffic Camera Pilot Project Launched to Improve Road Safety
Increased Fines for Traffic Offences Come into Effect
Proposed Changes to the Highway Traffic Act Impose Stronger Penalties for Speeding Offences
Proposed Changes to Highway Traffic Act Will Allow for Further Improvements to Public Safety
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