Just seven months into 2025, speed-related crashes have already surpassed last year’s total, according to the Calgary Police Service (CPS), which has called for the return of photo radar in the future.
In 2024, unsafe speed was a contributing factor in 20 percent of all traffic collisions. As of July 17, the CPS reported that the 2025 figure was already 8.1 per cent higher.
Additionally, the year-to-date number of collisions where speeding resulted in serious or fatal injuries has grown by 9.1 and 5.6 per cent, respectively, compared to the 2024 total.
CPS said in an email statement to LWC that there have been five fatal and three serious collisions on Stoney Trail.
Out of the eight incidents, they said that six of them involved unlawful speeding.
“Speed is a major factor in the severity of collisions.”
Stoney Trail was subject to a removal of photo radar—also known as Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) devices—at the direction of the provincial government in 2023.
Later, in April, the devices were removed from all numbered highways, and they are currently only permitted by the province to be used in school, playground, and construction zones within city boundaries.
With it only being a few short months since the change was made, CPS said that it would be premature to point the finger at the prohibition of photo radar.
Despite that change though, they said that ATE devices worked and were integral to their safety efforts.
“While it’s too early to directly link the recent collisions to the removal of ATE, we do know it was effective in slowing vehicles,” read the statement.
“Automation also helped ensure our limited police resources were used more efficiently, allowing officers to focus on other critical public safety issues.”
Photo radar was not just a cash cow, said CPS
The choice of pulling photo radar devices followed the provincial government’s goal of reducing the number of sites by 70 per cent. According to a Mar. 27 news release, the Alberta Government said that the devices were an unjustifiable source of income for local police.
“For years, Alberta has had the most ATE sites of any jurisdiction in Canada with many serving as a ‘cash cow,’ generating millions of dollars in revenue with no clear evidence they were improving traffic safety,” read the release.
In a June report by the Calgary Police Commission, the CPS’s 2025 budget experienced a $28 million loss in revenue, which was attributed to the removal of photo radar devices.
As a result of reduced revenue, CPS has cut overtime pay, paused civilian hiring, and begun taking a closer look at its ledgers.
To remedy the operational shift experienced by municipal law enforcement, the provincial government introduced a Traffic Safety Fund.
Amounting to $13 million, the fund was intended to be used by cities to upgrade roads and intersections deemed to be considerable safety risks.
That fund, as of July, was the application acceptance phase, and CPS said that they are currently in the process of reviewing to apply for additional ATE devices city-wide.
However, they said that the Stoney Trail speeding hotspot would not eligible.
“The Calgary Police Service remains fully committed to doing everything we can to improve traffic safety and protect the public on our roads.”
