Sask. photo radar enforcement now a permanent fixture on roads

Saskatchewan's photo radar enforcement project is here to stay.

SGI said the project was successful over the last two years in reducing speeding, collisions and injuries in areas where photo radar was enforced.

The project could expand to more roadways in the future. That will be up to a committee that will look at which "high-risk areas around the province could benefit from photo speed enforcement."

If and when new cameras are installed, clear signage will also be in place. There will also be a grace period where warnings are given out instead of tickets.

Cameras were set up to catch traffic violators on five major road sections in the province in late 2014 and early 2015, as well as school zones in Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Regina.

The project was slated to wrap up in March 2017 but was extended indefinitely.

Areas of the province which were clearly marked as photo speed enforcement areas saw 28 fewer collisions resulting in death or injury per year, which translates to about 40 fewer injuries during the same time frame.

Twenty-two people died and another 579 were injured due to speed-related collisions in 2016, SGI said in a news release. That decreased to 11 speed-related deaths in 2017, but the number of injuries increased to 582.

Collisions resulting in injury or death also decreased by about seven incidents per year in school zones as well, which SGI said results in about 10 fewer injuries.