The Île-aux-Tourtes photo radar has become the most lucrative in Quebec, bringing in over $2 million in speeding fines since June 10, 2016, according to the Sûreté du Québec.
The photo radar device was installed on the stretch of Autoroute 40 connecting Vaudreuil-Dorion to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Over 11,000 tickets have been issued, generating an average of $20,000 per day.
“The two main reasons for collisions causing either bodily harm or death are distracted driving and speeding. Now you understand that the people going through these photo radars are doing both,” said Jason Allard of the Sûreté du Québec.
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The runner-up is the radar on Autoroute 15 east in Mirabel, which brings in over $15,000 per day.
“It’s a tax, that’s all it is,” one driver told Global News.
“It should be there at specific points only, but not everywhere. The way that they’re expanding it, it’s an epidemic.”
While some feel that these devices are nothing more than a government money grab, the Sûreté du Québec, which operates the radars, assures that the funds go a long way.
“We know that there is about a 25 per cent decrease in the number deaths caused by collisions in the areas where they have been installed,” assured Allard.
The fines collected from radar devices go to a highway safety fund, where the money is reinvested into programs designed to improve road safety and assist victims of road accidents.
“The question comes down to: are we talking about money or are we talking about lives?”
Allard said “there is no price to a life, and if we do save two, three, 10 or 50 lives throughout the process, it’s well worth it at the end of the day.”
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But why is the Île-aux-Tourtes location bringing in so much money?
Two main factors play into it.
First, it simply has to do with the number of speed violations being committed in the spot.
Second, the radar system is installed in a construction zone, where not only is the speed limit lowered, but fines are doubled as well.
“We have a construction zone where there are three lanes merging from left to right. Configuration is changing, lanes are slowing down, and people are speeding and are distracted, so we have all these factors that could lead to a collision,” said Allard.
The radar will remain on this stretch of highway until the end of December, during which time it could bring in another $1.6 million, if the trend keeps up.