Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is calling for the return of automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras after a city report showed a dramatic increase in speeding since the devices were removed in November 2025. At a news conference on Wednesday, Chow described the report as “horrifying” and reiterated that “speed kills.”
Report Shows Alarming Rise in Speeding
The Supplemental Report on the Safety Impacts of the Cancellation of the Automated Speed Enforcement Program, released Wednesday, found that the number of drivers exceeding speed limits by 16 km/h or more rose sharply after the cameras were deactivated. At 38 locations with a posted limit of 50 km/h, only 0.5% of drivers went 16 km/h over the limit when cameras were active. After removal, that figure jumped to 2.9% — a 480% increase. At 13 locations with a 30 km/h limit, the proportion rose from 1.4% to 7.2%, a 410% increase.
“People are driving like it is a highway,” Chow said. “It is a school zone, for God’s sake.”
Safety Impacts of Higher Speeds
The report emphasized that “higher speeds contribute to higher risk of serious injuries and fatalities in compounding ways; they reduce reaction time for people driving and increase the vehicle stopping distance, making it less likely to be able to avoid a collision.” Lower speeds, it noted, improve safety for all road users, particularly in reducing rear-end, head-on, and T-bone collisions, which account for 47% of serious injuries and fatalities for motor vehicle occupants. Pedestrians struck at midblock locations and by vehicles driving straight at intersections make up 52% of pedestrian serious injuries and fatalities, while sideswipe, rear-end, and left-turning bicycle collisions account for 32% of cyclist serious injuries and fatalities.
Background on Camera Removal
Before the end of speed camera enforcement on Nov. 14, 2025, Toronto had 150 ASE devices installed. Premier Doug Ford had previously called the cameras a cash grab, arguing they were less effective than speed bumps and other traffic-calming measures. He stated that municipalities using cameras were “squeezing more money out of the taxpayers” and that they should instead “install infrastructure” to slow traffic. Chow has consistently disagreed, and the new report strengthens her position. “We knew the speed cameras worked and now that they have been taken out, we notice a dramatic increase in speed,” she said.
