Following a two-year pilot project in three cities, the Government of Saskatchewan has made the decision to permanently fund photo speed enforcement.

The announcement was made yesterday with plenty of data to back up the decision. The results of photo radar have shown a decrease in the number of speeding drivers and collisions causing injury in areas where photo speed enforcement was clearly marked.

The two-year analysis showed an average of 28 fewer accidents in these areas and an estimated 40 fewer injuries per year. Moose Jaw, Regina and Saskatoon were the only three cities to have cameras installed.

Minister Responsible for SGI, Joe Hargrave, says there is a clear cut reason the government wants to keep photo radar.

“Number one: we have to be safe on the highways, on the roads, and in our communities. That’s what prompted us to make photo speed enforcement permanent,” Hargrave said.

Photo radar cameras are currently present on roads, highways, in construction and school zones. Hargrave adds there are specific areas that could see a benefit from having photo speed enforcement.

“The whole province is constantly in need of safety in our school zones. I’ve got six grandkids and I worry about them,” he said.

Along with the decision, the government also announced it will form a new Saskatchewan Traffic Safety Committee. A majority of the revenue generated from speeding tickets from the cameras will go toward the committee, where they will decide how to allocate the money. Communities who don’t have photo radar can still receive funds from the committee to go toward traffic safety improvements.

Hargrave said this will benefit the whole province.

“The revenue from photo speed enforcement, those revenues are changing. The distribution of those revenues and part of it is going to this new Traffic Safety Committee,” he said.

The new committee will be made up of representatives from SGI, RCMP, municipal police, the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations.