Dear editor:
Regarding the Sept. 21 letter to the editor, “Speed camera near Virgil school is just a cash grab,” we believe it is not a cash grab but rather a great tool to manage bad drivers.
Quite the opposite of a cash grab, due to the punitive nature of fines, speed cameras with automatic ticketing are the only tools to ensure safe speed limits are respected.
Adherence to speed limits without enforcement measures is continually ignored.
Speeding through many neighbourhoods in Niagara-on-the-Lake remains a perpetual issue, not only jeopardizing the safety of pedestrians, pets and wildlife, but also creating excessive noise and disturbing the peace.
Our observations are that speeding in Niagara-on-the-Lake occurs mainly by town residents, repeatedly.
Speed cameras would not distract tourism in any way. In fact, tourists should welcome managed driving in small towns as would the residents.
It ensures safety and peacefulness as speed cameras would mean valuable police resources could be directed to issues that actually need police intervention.
These cameras are not an extraordinary initiative but a necessary one to manage disrespectful driving. Speed cameras and speed bumps will surely mitigate this perpetual disrespect.
In fact, the cameras would be useful all around town, not just in the designated community safety zones.
We do not understand why the Town of NOTL will not at least try even temporary speed bumps in neighbourhoods to try to manage this problem.
Is everyone aware that although speed minders are placed around town to educate drivers, the town often limits the display to not exceed 69 km/h, even though drivers are passing by at much higher speeds?
The reason given for this deliberate lower calibration is that some drivers will test the speed minders to see how high a number they can record.
It seems so obvious that these are the individuals who will only change their irresponsible driving behaviour by being issued repeated fines and possibly having their insurance premiums increase.
Diane and Rob Fahlman
NOTL
