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We Agree, at least with the Concept! |
| "Photo enforcement placed at construction zones and school zones are there to protect people who are in a vulnerable position. It's difficult, to argue with utilizing tools that ensure children are safe as they walk to their schools or that street workers can do their jobs without the fear of traffic flow. Even when workers aren't present often the street itself is undergoing extensive work and may not be safe at higher speeds. Photo enforcement technology also frees up Winnipeg Police Officers to concentrate on other types of crime such as catching impaired drivers. Photo enforcement technology is one tool that your Winnipeg Police Service considers invaluable in helping to improve the safety of our streets. But we're hoping that the just slow down campaign and this web site will help educate Winnipeg drivers and prevent the tragedy associated with motor vehicle collisions. " |
So Let's get this straight! You're being told there is great concern for those in Construction Zones and School Zones who are Vulnerable.
Yet the collision statistics are so low for these areas (Even Pre-Photo Enf.) that the City doesn't even have a category for construction zones in it's own collision stats and as of 2004 a category for School Zones was removed.
How can that be? Especially when Councillor Gord Steeves said on CBC 990 Information Radio last week, "I would argue that in fact that it is a much larger safety concern through construction zones then speeding is on just a regular roadway that's been enforced for decades." (MPI stats for MANITOBA show Construction Zones make up 0.1% of all collisions.)
These Statistics by the way are available for public view 24/7. Click here to see them. There's no link provided from their site!
This new site only shows Stats for the '20 Worst Intersections' (Again only using Signalled ones) and what's worse they do it on Google Maps using reference points that don't show the statistic unless you click on it. It disappears when you click on the next one. I would have thought that with the money they have to run these campaigns. (Funded by a % of photo ticket fines. See linked City of Winnipeg 2006 Audit pg. 50) That not only could they lay out the Statistics better, but they could actually post relevant ones.
Keep in mind that I wrote this article over the stretch of a few hours, on my lap top, at my home. Yet I still in a matter of hours found more then enough statistical information, from The City's own web site and copies of the WPS annual reports to lay out statistics that are easy to read and follow.
Actually I learned something while studying the City's traffic stats. There is a real problem with pedestrians getting Killed in this city. On Average almost half of the yearly fatalities are pedestrians. From experience I will tell you that very few of them occur at Lighted intersections or Pedestrian Corridors.
I have made up a chart below for you to look at. If you want more detailed info then go the the City's site. What you will see below is from 1999 to 2006.
**Photo Enforcement began in 2003**
| Year | Fatalities Total | Rear End Collisions | Side Impacts | Pedestrian | School Zones | Construction Zones |
| 99 | 21 | 5551 0-Fatals 1725-Injury | 2724 4-F 781-I | 342 11-F 325-I | 1 (Property Damage) | No Data |
| 00 | 17 | 6047 1-F 1620-I | 2610 1-F 683-I | 333 8-F 320-I | 1-P.D. | No Data |
| 01 | 20 | 5647 1-F 1442-I | 2369 6-F 618-I | 337 6-F 323-I | 3 1-I 2-P.D. | No Data |
| 02 | 20 | 5978 1-F 1473-I | 2696 1-F 666-I | 326 9-F 317-I | 5 2-I 3-P.D. | No Data |
| 03 | 21 | 6967 0-F 1658-I | 2589 7-F 659-I | 379 9-F 369-I | 4 2-I 2-P.D. | No Data |
| 04 | 20 | 6499 1-F 1611-I | 2626 9-F 658-I | 310 3-F 305-I | 1 1-I | No Data |
| 05 | 15 | 5938 1-F 1309-I | 2339 0-F 557-I | 289 4-F 284-I | No Data | No Data |
| 06 | 19 | 5670 1-F 1338-I | 2200 5-F 551-I | 351 8-F 322-I | No Data | No Data |
F= Fatalities. I= Injury. P.D.= Property Damage. No stats available for 07 & 08.
Looking at the data above, you can see where initially Rear End collisions and Injuries increased in 2003 and 2004 before they started to taper off back to Pre-Red Light Camera enforcement. There was no difference in the amount of Fatals.
Side Impact collisions, there was a reduction of 645 collisions in the post photo years and 323 less injuries reported, yet there was almost double the amount of fatalities in post photo years. (12 fatals 99-02 & 21 fatals 03-06 ?)
Here's what's interesting, Overall there were 58 total fatalities for pedestrians and 39 total overall fatalities for both side impacts and rear end collisions combined. 19 More Pedestrians! Which would lead one to believe that it's more dangerous walking in Winnipeg then to be in a vehicle.
Now the disturbing stat, the fact that there are no collision stats for Construction Zones and up until 2004 when the catagory was removed from the City's Traffic Statistics there were an average of 2.5 collisions a year in school zones. For the six years of data there were 6 injuries, 9 damage to property and 0 fatals in this catagory. The injuries are non specific and do not indicate whether it was people in vehicles or pedestrians.
Yet in the four years of enforcement in these zones there were 277,532 tickets generated. At roughly $200.00 a ticket average thats approx. $55,506,400Year Total Photo Tickets 2008 168,173 2007 136,657 2006 90,321 2005 117,064 2004 137,962 2003 179,242
Red Light Cameras issued 247,057 or roughly $49,411,400 for a total of approx. $104,917,800 minus $24 million to pay ACS. Plus approx. another Approx. $10,000,00 for the City's operating costs should leave the City (If every ticket was a conviction and paid) with approximately $70 Million Dollars.
The City in the First year of the program made $1.9 million and in year Two ran a deficit of $155,840 ? (pg. 15 of the 2006 City Audit on the program)
As you can see from the table to the right, tickets from photo enforcement were decreasing steadily from 179,242 in the first year to 90,321 in 06 before increasing again after the City invested in more Mobile Units (Started enforcing Construction zones in 07) and continued to expand it's RLC's.
When you add up the totals of 07 and 08 there were 193133 tickets by Mobile Units (Approx. $38,626,600 from school/constr/playground zones) and 111,697 issued by RLC'S (Approx. $22,339,400)
In Fact 08 is the second highest year of ticketing. Take your calculator to the Cities Web Site and crunch the numbers yourself. I'm not making this stuff up folks!
Cash Machine in Training (Diamond Lane)Yet looking at the WPS annual reports for the same time period and calculating Officer issued tickets and Impaired Driving arrests. You can see that Officers issued 49,727 tickets in 99 for a wide variety of offences.(Near full compliment of Traffic Officers) and arrested 1270 Impaired drivers.
These numbers decreased every year and in 07 which is the most recent, there were 24,794 offences issued and 500 Impaired arrests along with a decrease of Approximatley 1/2 of the amount of Traffic Officers.
Summary
Well, I think it's evident, don't you? When you consider that there are ways to make vehicles slow down in all these zones that do not generate revenue. Ask yourself why are they not even testing some of them.
If Studies are showing that increasing Amber times by as little as one second, virtually eliminates collisions, red light running and speeding. Why are we not trying it?
Wake up Winnipeg! Enough is Enough!
Ca$h Grab.
Larry Stefanuik
Trafficticketguru.com
Slow Down, Drive Safe and Keep Your Money In Your Own Pocket!
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