An expert claims that while it is an unpopular option, the reimplementation of photo radar in BC could help get the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) out of its financial pinch.
A report leaked to the public on Monday suggests that auto rates in the province could increase by up to 30% over the next two years if the insurer fails to implement any major changes in its basic insurance system.
One of the recommendations in the leaked Ernst & Young report called for the reimplementation of photo radar technology. Attorney General David Eby, the minister responsible for the ICBC, promised recently that he would not consider reviving the measure.
“It is wildly unpopular among British Columbians. They hate it. We’ve heard that loud and clear,” Eby explained in a press conference Monday.
Those opposed to photo radar, such as motorist advocacy group Sense BC, argue that the system exists only to hit drivers for their occasional mistakes. They also claim that implementing the system could cost the province.
Capital Regional District Traffic Safety Commission vice-chair Chris Foord, however, believes the system is the answer to the ICBC’s current fiscal problems.
Foord told CBC that thanks to new technology, more sophisticated, automated, and cheaper detection methods can be used to create a more efficient photo radar system.
“Back when photo radar was there [in 2001], someone had to change the film in the camera,” he said. “There were no smartphones. Laptops were brand new. There were virtually no digital cameras back then. The world is a different place.”
He also says that there are far too many drivers who habitually speed beyond what is considered an “occasional” mistake.
“I am appalled by what I’m seeing,” Foord said. “I don’t know that your right or my right to be that irresponsible and drive at those speeds should go unchallenged.”
Foord backed up his argument by citing a 2016 report by BC’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Perry Kendall. According to the report, a surge in traffic fatalities after 2001 could be correlated to the decision to scrap the photo radar program. That same report also recommended the reimplementation of the program.
BC’s photo radar program was scrapped in 2001, but other provinces such as Alberta and Ontario continue to utilize the system.
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