Doubling Speed Fines in Playground Zones and School Zones
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT Alberta Municipalities advocate for the Government of Alberta to make changes to the Alberta Traffic Safety Act to improve safety within designated school zones and playground zones through measures such as double fines for speeding offenses or adjusting demerits to encourage improved compliance.
WHEREAS ensuring the safety of children, particularly in playground zones near schools, is paramount due to their heightened vulnerability to traffic-related risks;
WHEREAS various public entities, including school boards and parent councils have voiced concerns regarding speeding and pedestrian safety, underscoring the urgency for additional protective measures;
WHEREAS other jurisdictions, such as Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario, have successfully implemented measures to double speeding fines in school zones;
WHEREAS Alberta has already doubled fines for other vulnerable road users such as when workers are present in construction zones or when passing first responders; and
WHEREAS the provincial government holds responsibility for the Traffic Safety Act and associated regulations/specified penalties, including the establishment of school and playground zones with reduced speed limits to safeguard children's well-being.
This issue affects all Alberta municipalities with school zones and/or playground zones. According to a study cited by the Global Road Safety Partnership[1] increasing speeding fines by 50-100 per cent can result in a 15 per cent decrease in violations.
Given the alignment with existing provincial legislation intended to protect vulnerable road users, and the potential to help reduce safety incidents in school zones and playground zones, this resolution should be given a high priority.
While prioritizing the safety of road users in school zones and playground zones does not specifically align with strategic initiatives listed in Alberta Municipalities’ 2024 Business Plan, it does align with the general strategy of prioritizing and building common solutions that strengthen municipalities.
Advocacy to increase fines for speeding in school and playground zones was addressed by Alberta Municipalities through a 2011 resolution sponsored by the City of Grande Prairie. Alberta Transportation responded that they were not pursuing an increase in fine amounts at that time. There does not appear to be any other associations or groups acting on this issue currently.
[1] Sakashita, C. Fleiter, J.J, Cliff, D., Flieger, M., Harman, B. & Lilley, M (2021). A Guide to the Use of Penalties to Improve Road Safety. Global Road Safety Partnership, Geneva, Switzerland.
ABmunis does not currently have a position on this specific issue. If this resolution is passed, it would be forwarded to the Government of Alberta for response and further advocacy would be recommended to the ABmunis Board by the Safe and Healthy Communities Committee within the context of other priorities and positions.
ABmunis members were unable to vote on this resolution at ABmunis’ 2024 Convention due to insufficient time resulting from the high number and length of debate on other resolutions. Following the Convention, ABmunis consulted members in November 2024 prior to a vote by ABmunis Board of Directors where the resolution was adopted.