Cameras cut speeding by 45 per cent in Toronto school zones, study finds

First-of-its-kind research by TMU and SickKids shows how automated speed enforcement cameras can make streets safer for children.

July 25, 2025

As the City of Toronto faces opposition to speed enforcement cameras, a new study has found that cameras reduced speeding in school zones by a significant 45 per cent.

The study by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) examined vehicle speeds before, during and after the City of Toronto deployed automated speed enforcement cameras to school zones.

While the cameras were in place, speeding vehicles decreased by 45 per cent and vehicles travelling more than 20km/h over the speed limit dropped by 87 per cent. Once cameras were removed, speeding rates returned to previous levels.

"This research is important and very timely as the use of automated speed enforcement in urban areas is currently being debated across Canada. Those against these cameras complain they are speed traps and cash cows to generate municipal revenue. This research provides strong evidence about how effective these devices are in reducing driver speed, which is essential to increasing the safety of our urban roads," said Linda Rothman, occupational and public health professor and senior author on the study.

Dr. Andrew Howard, first author, head of orthopaedic surgery and senior scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences program at SickKids said: "Speed is the single most important factor in pedestrian injury risk. This study shows that ASE can be an effective way to reduce that risk, especially in areas where children are most vulnerable."

Automated speed enforcement reduced vehicle speeds in school zones in Toronto: a prospective quasi-experimental study (external link) was published in the journal Injury Prevention.

The research was conducted in collaboration with the City of Toronto as part of its Vision Zero road safety programme and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and a competitive evaluation grant from the City of Toronto.

Media Contact

Michelle LePage
PR and Communications Specialist
Toronto Metropolitan University
michelle.lepage@torontomu.ca