Motorists driving through high-speed areas or construction or school zones may notice signs indicating photo speed enforcement (PSE). SGI has an implemented PSE network across the province designed to reduce speeding and speed-related vehicle accidents.
The program uses a dual radar system to identify and track a vehicle to calculate its speed. If the vehicle meets the criteria for a speeding violation, a photo is taken including time, date, and speed.
Troy Corbett is the Director of Traffic Safety Community Outreach at SGI. He explains PSE zones are maintained to ensure accuracy.
“SGI has a vendor that oversees the operation of the program, and they inspect and maintain all the equipment including the housings and kiosks, the camera systems, and they inspect each location every 48 hours, to ensure that they're properly set up, properly calibrated, and adjusted at the time they're set up and as well as periodically while they're installed.”
SGI’s network in particular is focused in urban areas and rotates between centers around the province. Corbett says its implementation is in line with their goal for zero tickets and zero crashes, as speeding is a major contributing factor in casualty collisions in Saskatchewan.
“We want people to slow down in these high-risk locations to avoid any kind of collisions, any resulting injuries and fatalities. Ultimately, we're looking to deter speeding and the collisions that come from speeding.”
The program allows cameras to be set up in areas that are more dangerous for traditional enforcement but does not operate independently of regular traffic enforcement.
“The effectiveness of the program is very much contingent on strong enforcement by officers roadside as well as targeted advertising awareness campaigns around the dangers of speeding. The program just supplements the existing programs that are in place within the municipalities and within the province of Saskatchewan.”
Monthly statistics and information on the program are available on the SGI website alongside evaluation reports and other supplement reports regarding the program.