Ford’s plan to axe speed cameras could worsen Brampton’s sky-high auto insurance rates & lead to more fatalities

After a reckless driver barrelled down a north Brampton street five years ago, going 167 kilometres an hour according to police when he swerved out of control and slammed into a family vehicle carrying a young mother and her three daughters, killing them all, Brampton officials took steps to slow down the city’s notorious dangerous drivers.

Brady Robertson was sentenced to 17 years in prison for killing four members of the Ciasullo family, after testing showed he had more than eight times the legal limit of THC in his system.

Robertson had been cited for 15 driving infractions in the two-and-a-half years prior to the horrific crash on June 18, 2020. Countryside Drive’s wide suburban design allowed Robertson to travel at speeds seldom reached even on a 400-series highway. 

Brampton’s flawed urban planning features similar thoroughfares throughout the sprawling city, which is projected to house one million residents 25 years from now. Boulevards that look more like runways criss-cross the giant suburb. 

The global “Vision Zero” strategy—a framework adopted by City council to dramatically reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths—saw the installation of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras across Brampton. There are 150 across the city, with plans for 35 more in the works. 

A 2020 stunt driving crash in Brampton, where speeding and dangerous driving have turned many major thoroughfares into speedways while pushing up auto insurance rates to some of the highest in the country.

(YouTube/Screenshot) 

New data from the City of Brampton show just how well these cameras have worked to slow down drivers in a city that has a reputation for high speeds. The reality of excessive speeds is largely responsible for drivers in the city paying some of the highest auto insurance rates in the country. 

The insurance industry has provided data for more than a decade that show accidents in Brampton are, on average, far more costly because the higher rates of speed involved in collisions (higher rates of fraud are also partially responsible). 

The Pointer used various postal codes in Brampton and compared them with others across Ontario when entering information into online auto insurance price estimators such as belairdirect.com to get quotes. Leaving all other criteria the same (type of car, year, driver information etc.) and only changing the postal code, revealed that drivers in some Brampton neighbourhoods routinely pay 50 percent  more than Toronto drivers and, in some cases, as much as double what drivers in some other parts of the province pay. 

On some of Brampton’s most dangerous and busiest corridors where speed cameras have been erected, drivers have slowed down by an average of more than 20 kilometres an hour.

And contrary to some claims that have been made on social media, Brampton officials have reported the average speed above the posted limit that has resulted in a ticket from an ASE camera in the city is 15.7 kilometres per hour. Brampton council has also reported that speed cameras in the city do not generate tickets unless a monitored vehicle is going at least 11 kilometres per hour above the posted limit. 

According to a survey of residents used by Brampton officials, 65 percent of respondents in the city want ASE cameras, while 86 percent support their use around schools and parks. 

This week, council members passed a motion to keep the program in place, regardless of what the provincial government does. 

Reducing speeds has proven to save lives—making the cameras essential to keeping Bramptonians safe. A 2019 study from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health found speed cameras are one of the most effective ways for saving lives and reducing healthcare costs. 

It only takes a slight increase in speed for the risk of death following a collision to rise dramatically.

(Vision Zero)

Premier Doug Ford and other critics have instead called the cameras a “cash grab”, and he has promised to introduce legislation to ban their use. He has urged municipalities to instead focus on infrastructure and other speed control measures, like speedbumps, roundabouts and curb extensions to keep drivers safe. 

It’s a flip flop from Ford’s previous position. It was his PC government that introduced legislation in 2019 to allow municipalities to deploy speed cameras. 

The Premier’s Office did not respond to questions. 

Ford recently suggested the idea of repurposing the cameras to be used for surveillance to track stolen vehicles and help with other crime fighting techniques. 

Ford has promised to help municipalities pay for any infrastructure changes. 

The Premier’s move to ban the cameras triggered pushback from a group of 22 mayors and municipal officials across Ontario, spearheaded by Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who jointly wrote a letter to Queen’s Park on October 2 demanding a compromise to keep speed cameras in schools and community safety zones.

“A total ban on ASE would reverse years of progress on safety in school zones. It would place more pressure on police, increase enforcement costs, and most critically, endanger lives,” the letter underscores.

"We urge you to provide a carve-out to allow municipalities to continue to deploy ASE in school zones and work with municipalities to improve understanding, effectiveness, and community engagement around ASE in these areas."

 A letter signed by 22 Ontario mayors and municipal officials calling on Premier Doug Ford to allow speed cameras to remain in school zones rather than impose a blanket ban.

The letter referenced a July 2025 study carried out by SickKids and Toronto Metropolitan University that showed in Toronto ASE cameras led to a 45 percent reduction in speeding vehicles across 250 school zones, including an 88 percent reduction in vehicles moving more than 20 kilometres per hour over the speed limit.

Last year, Mississauga council members authorized staff to extend the City’s Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) agreement for an additional five years (until July 2029).

Elected officials had previously learned of alarming speeds on many of the city’s streets.

More than 200 tickets were issued for driving more than 50 kilometres an hour above the posted speed limit on Mississauga streets between 2021 and 2024, including vehicles that were caught moving at excessive speeds by cameras in zones where the limit is 30 kilometres per hour (indicating the risk of accidents in areas where children are often present in neighbourhoods). The highest ticketed speed reported by a camera in a 30 kilometre an hour zone was 114 km/h on Mississauga Valley Boulevard west of Central Parkway East. Other cars caught by cameras in each of the 30 km/h zones with a camera included high speeds of: 111, 111, 110, 109, 108, 108, 107 and 100 kilometres an hour. More than fifty zones throughout the city with a 30 kilometre an hour limit saw high speeds of 80 kilometres an hour or higher since 2021.

In Ontario, any speed 40 kilometres an hour or more above a posted limit of less than 80 kilometres an hour; or 50 kilometres an hour and more over a posted limit of 80 kilometres an hour or higher is charged as stunt driving, a common problem across Mississauga and Brampton, as Peel Police has highlighted numerous times.

Moving at 100 kilometres an hour in a 30, effectively renders a car into a weapon, advocates have pointed out.

The Ford government’s move is frustrating for Brampton officials who have pushed for the cameras, leading to the  installation of 150 pole-mounted ASE units, with plans for 35 more. 

Despite harsh criticism against Ford’s planned banned, with opponents across Ontario calling it a dire threat to public safety and a waste of millions of dollars already spent by municipalities that installed speed cameras since 2019, with the encouragement of Ford’s government, some support the Premier.

“There is an overuse of speed cameras, often combined with changes to speed limits. Many areas seem specifically designed to function as speed traps, generating significant revenue for the City of Brampton without actually improving road safety," Sanjay Patel, a Brampton resident, told councillors during a September 3 meeting. 

It’s a position shared by Brampton PC MPP and Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria, who claimed “speed cameras have become nothing more than a tool for raising revenue.”

During the first week of July, a petition was posted on Change.org, demanding the City of Brampton eliminate its 150 photo radar cameras and provide full public disclosure of the revenue generated from enforcement. The petition had been signed by 8,186 people as of October 1. 

"With the implementation of these speed cameras, we are now living under constant surveillance, creating a stressful and anxious driving environment for law-abiding citizens," the petition claims. "In the midst of an affordability crisis, inflation, rising taxes and economic pressure, families cannot afford to have their hard-earned money siphoned through automated ticketing systems. These cameras disproportionately impact working-class individuals, many of whom are just trying to commute safely, efficiently, and peacefully."

A counter petition was launched soon after calling for the preservation and expansion of the speed camera program in Brampton. It had 540 signatures as of October 1.

According to the petition, "These cameras are not about punishment—they’re about prevention.”

"We are human, not machines—and that’s exactly why we need smart tools that help prevent mistakes before they become tragedies. These cameras deliver fairness and accountability, not fear."

Dozens of residents voiced support for ASEs in a comment section under the petition, citing that they play a vital role in improving road safety. Below are a few posts:

Posts by individuals from a petition backing the installation of speed cameras.

(Change.org)

Azad Goyat, a Brampton resident, questioned the visibility of ASE signs.

"The intention behind this program is not safety but to grab money." He referred to a single municipal speed camera in Toronto that triggered more than 65,000 tickets between 2022 and 2024, generating nearly $7 million in revenue.

Goyat suggested that rather than focussing on enforcement measures, Brampton council should look at alternative methods like speed signage to make drivers more aware of their habits, especially in community safety zones.

"I take my personal experience. I'm driving on a road, and my speed is, for example, 70 kilometres. And there is a warning sign flashing, showing that your speed is 70 and the road speed is 60. Right away, I will control my speed,” he said. "If the intent is safety, why don't they have the warning sign all over? Why don't they have the flashing lights all over? Why? Why don't you have the other measures? Why only the camera? Because with the camera, they are making money, and people are being robbed in the name of safety." 

Analyzing Brampton’s data, the effectiveness of ASE cameras is clear. 

On Main Street, north of Clarence Street—a 50 kilometre an hour zone—the average speed before a camera was installed was 62.6 kilometres an hour. It dropped to 38.4 following the camera’s arrival. 

On Cottrelle Boulevard, east of Valleycreek Drive, the 40 kilometre an hour zone saw an average speed of 62.2 before the speed camera, and 38.4 after its installation. 

At North Park Drive west of Massey Street, a residential area where the speed limit is 40 kilometres an hour, prior to the speed camera, the average vehicle was travelling 25.4 kilometres an hour above the limit. After ASE was implemented, average speeds dropped to 37, which is below the posted limit.

It’s clear that the threat of a ticket, possibly a costly one, is an effective deterrent, whereas speed signs without any consequence often do little to curb dangerous driving.

The highest speed recorded by Brampton’s ASE cameras illustrates how dangerous driving in Brampton can be. One driver was clocked at 200 kilometres an hour in a 50 zone on McVean Drive. Another was caught on Heart Lake Road going 186 in a 40 zone. 

Others examples include:

• 172 km/h in the 50 zone on Clarkway Drive south of Castle Oaks Crossing
• 153 km/h in the 40 zone at Cottrelle Boulevard east of Valleycreek Drive
• 139 km/h in the 50 zone at Cottrelle Boulevard West of Red Willow Road.

Excessive overspeeding has plagued Brampton for years, contributing to high collision rates and skyrocketing auto insurance premiums. According to the 2025 figures from RATESDOTCA, Brampton drivers pay an average of $3,848 annually, with a monthly premium of $321, 38 percent more than the average Ontarian who pays $2,779 annually or $232 per month.

The compliance data published by Brampton staff is even more striking. On Rutherford Road North, south of Madoc Drive, only 12.8 percent of drivers previously complied with the 50 kilometre an hour speed limit; now 97 percent of drivers are following the law after the installation of an ASE camera. At Conservation Drive west of Dawnridge Trail, only 6.2 percent of drivers previously obeyed the designated speed limit in the 50 zone, but as of July this year, 91 percent of drivers were complying with the speed limit. 

According to a press release from the PC government, once the legislation is passed at Queen's Park, municipalities will be required to replace cameras in school zones with “large new signs to slow down drivers” by mid-November, with permanent, large signs and flashing lights to be in place by September of next year.

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