Officials in Winnipeg, Canada were caught this weekend defying a court ruling that outlawed the use of photo radar in work zones when workers are not present. A group of residents organized by the group WiseUp Winnipeg have decided to fight back, first by recording the automated ticketing van as it operated in a Route 90 “construction zone” on October 10 at 3:30pm with no workers in sight.
In February a judge ruled that speed cameras could be used in reduced 60km/h (37 MPH) zones “only when workers are present” (view ruling). The judge canceled all the photo tickets brought to his attention, sparking a province-wide debate on whether Winnipeg should have refunded the fines illegally collected. Ultimately, the city refused to do so.
Larry Stefanuik, a former police constable who now helps motorists fight traffic tickets, was shocked at how blatantly the city was violating the law as he recorded the incident. The unmarked ticketing van was not only operating in a workerless zone, it was also positioned less twenty yards from the end of the construction zone barricades.
“I really just could not believe that they would park that close to the end of a construction zone,” Stefanuik said. “It was absolutely ridiculous. It’s inappropriate… They’re obviously trying to take advantage of a motorist who, after being tied up in the slow area of the zone, starts to speed up prematurely as they approach the end and enter a higher speed zone.”
At least one motorist pulled over to speak to the speed camera van driver (see photo). Others began to put out bright yellow warning signs that read “$low Down Photo Enforcement Ahead” to prevent the camera from surprising drivers.
“The only way to stop photo enforcement is to continue to bring out the truth and prevent it from making money,” Stefanuik said. “Without its food source the system goes broke and goes away.”
Studies show that highway construction zone workers are far more likely to be killed in accidents involving their own equipment than by drivers exceeding a work zone speed limit (view studies). Work zone fatality statistics often include incidents in which workers are hit by construction equipment including dump trucks and asphalt steam rollers.
[courtesy thenewspaper.com]
If there was no one in the van, I’d say it was a golden opportunity to put Grave Digger to good use.
If the goal was to get drivers to slow down as they pass through the work zone, the van would be at the beginning of the work zone. I have no problem with speed limits being enforced, but this is clearly a cash grab.
After they get kicked out of the Road Construction zones, they set up shop in school zones that have not had a non-reckless speed-related incident since the school was opened 75 years earlier.
When it comes time to vote for a school levy, remember you gave at the Court House.
Just before two minutes into the video, you see a flatbed truck with safety flashers turning left. There might be a worker in that truck?
I’ve seen worse here in Calgary. 12:30AM (yes, midnight), no workers in the construction zone (construction was finished actually, the signs were still up for some reason), posted limit of 50km/h on a straight 4 lane road. I was heading onto said road via the downhill, 500 meter long merge lane, which is also straight. As I am shoulder checking to ensure I merge safely with traffic that was mostly going about 80km/h, my V1 went off to Ka-band radar. I slowed down and noticed the van at the end of the merge lane, photographing people as they were pre-occupied with merging safely. Pretty much every person in front of me was getting nailed.
The NEXT DAY the construction zone was officially closed and speed limit rose to 80km/h.
That particular construction zone has been targeted for the better part of a year. Mrs. Monty and I went the the nearby movie theatre several months ago, and when we left at 11:00 at night, there was a radar van parked just past the end of the construction zone, and while we were stopped at the nearby intersection for a red light we watched at least a half-dozen people get flashed. Bastards.
Red light cameras and the like are the 21st century crack for municipal governments.
The judge canceled all the photo tickets brought to his attention, sparking a province-wide debate on whether Winnipeg should have refunded the fines illegally collected. Ultimately, the city refused to do so.
So, the judge decided in favor of the motorists and through out the citations, but the City wouldn’t return the fees paid for the citations!? How is that possible/legal? That’s like being found innocent of burglarly but being forced to pay restitution anyway. Completely idiotic.
Man, Winterpeg is as ugly as my town. Plus there is snow on the ground in October. Looks like Manitoba is off my October vacation list.
I wish those people would get on board. As of 2007, Winnipeg has the highest rate of murder per capita in the country. The best way to deter murderers is to catch them speeding through work zones as leave their most recent murder scenes. You gotta nip this in the bud.
I don’t live there so I don’t have to worry about their speed traps. They voted for these people, it’s really their own fault.
And here I was thinking that only Toronto with it’s lame duck mayor was anti-car. He want’s to ban right turns on red light.
If the goal was to get drivers to slow down as they pass through the work zone, the van would be at the beginning of the work zone. I have no problem with speed limits being enforced, but this is clearly a cash grab.
Gotta disagree with that. Putting the van at the beginning of the zone would be the ultimate cash grab, since we’re all guilty of not slowing down quickly enough sometimes. But putting it in the middle of the zone nails the jerks who deserve it most; the ones who speed all the way through when there are workers present.
That said, I’m glad to hear the good citizens of Winnipeg fighting back under the circumstances. Maybe there is hope for us Nanny-Staters after all.
I’ve never been ticketed in a construction zone in Winnipeg but that’s probably because I’m a car guy. The entire photo radar program consists of Chrysler products with a few Taurus wagons as carry-over from the past.
So now everytime I see a Chrysler product (mostly Calibers, Journeys, Patriots and vans) parked at the side of the road, which is really obvious at construction sites, I slow down to the posted limit and pass. A quick glance in the rear view mirror confirms the equipment mounted to the front of the vehicle.
It pays/saves to be a car guy.