Automated Speed Enforcement

The Automated Speed Enforcement program is another way the City is enhancing road safety across Vaughan. This program is a key initiative under the MoveSmart Mobility Management Strategy (MoveSmart), which focuses on improving the municipal road network and road safety and supporting the development of more cycling and pedestrian infrastructure to create fully connected and integrated communities.

Automated speed enforcement is a system that uses a camera and speed measurement device to enforce speed limits remotely in Community Safety Zones. If a vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit in an automated speed enforcement area, the camera system captures an image, which is reviewed by a Provincial Offences Officer. If it is determined that a speeding offence occurred, an image of the offence, a penalty order is generated, including a picture of the vehicle and license plate and associated fine, and mailed to the registered vehicle owner (regardless of who was driving at the time) within 30 days. No demerit points will be issued and the driving record of the vehicle’s registered owner will not be impacted.

The City’s Automated Speed Enforcement program is permanent.

Automated speed enforcement is an effective tool in raising awareness of posted speed limits and ensuring drivers comply with them. Evidence and research indicate other cities have effectively used automated speed enforcement to reduce speeds on community roads, contributing to a safer road network for all users. The program is designed to work together with other methods and strategies, including road designs, education initiatives and traditional police enforcement.

Automated speed enforcement is just one of many programs the City has underway – along with education initiatives and police enforcement – to help reduce speeding in Vaughan. Other programs and initiatives include: 

• Active School Travel
• Corridor Reviews
• Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Plan
• Speed Limit Policy
• #SlowDownVaughan

Cameras will be positioned within Vaughan’s Community Safety Zones and prioritized based on traffic data and land uses, centered around  speeding concerns, overall traffic volumes, collision history and the presence of sidewalks or cycling facilities, schools, parks, community centres and libraries. Launched in October 2024, 10 mobile cameras will be rotated throughout areas across the city. 

Signage will be posted within each Community Safety Zone where a camera is coming soon or active. 

Yes. Before the program can officially launch and any penalties are issued, the Province of Ontario has stipulated that “MUNICIPAL SPEED CAMERA COMING SOON” signs be implemented 90 days before a camera is activated. Once the 90-day period is up, these warning signs will be replaced with “MUNICIPAL SPEED CAMERA IN USE” signs. At this point, penalties will begin to be issued. 

Automated speed enforcement is just as accurate at detecting speed as traditional speed measurement devices used by police. A Certificate of Accuracy of camera at each location is provided.

No. The automated speed enforcement system used in Ontario is not a video-based system; only a still image of the licence plate is captured.

The City’s camera vendor (Jenoptik) will be responsible for maintaining damaged and vandalized cameras. The service agreement with the vendor includes all routine maintenance, accidental and purposeful damage to the camera equipment, and vandalism to the units. 

The vendor will conduct ongoing maintenance of all cameras and provide a monthly summary of their performance.
 

There is a provincial steering committee that establishes guidelines such as threshold speeds. This committee is comprised of traffic engineers and police officials who are experienced in speed control measures. 

Any driver travelling at or below the posted speed limit will be observed as following the rules established in the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and will not be captured by the automated speed enforcement cameras. All of Vaughan’s cameras will be programmed by the camera vendor in accordance with the guidelines set by the provincial steering committee. This ensures uniformity and transparency across the province. 

Automated speed enforcement cameras will only be placed within designated Community Safety Zones. Community Safety Zones are chosen based on the City’s Community Safety Zones Policy (PDF). To learn more, visit vaughan.ca/SafetyZones.

There is no maximum number of penalties a vehicle can receive. A penalty will be issued to the registered plate owner each time their vehicle exceeds the speed limit in an automated speed enforcement zone. Speed limits are not guidelines – they are the law, and the best way to avoid receiving a penalty is to comply with the posted speed limit.

After the system captures an image of the vehicle exceeding the speed limit, the image is stored and sent to a processing centre. The image and camera data is then reviewed by a Provincial Offences Officer to determine if there is sufficient evidence to confirm a speeding violation occurred. If so, the officer will affirm the offence, and a penalty order is mailed to the registered vehicle owner. The penalty order contains a digitized copy of the image captured by the ASE camera and an enlargement of the plate portion. 
 

While an ASE penalty will not result in demerit points, a speeding penalty – whether issued by a police officer or through automated speed enforcement – could affect your insurance. Contact your insurance provider for more details.

ASE fine and penalty amounts are determined by the ONTARIO REGULATION 355/22, under the HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT and they correspond with the amount over the speed limit the vehicle is travelling at when the image is taken. The total payable indicated on the penalty order includes the Contravention amount, Authorized Requestor Information Services (ARIS system) fee for plate owner information product and the Victim Component (VC), which is credited to the provincial Victims' Justice Fund account.

1. Contravention amount: this is comparable to POA set fines. Please note that the contravention amount is comparable to existing POA set fines for the corresponding offence of speeding in a community safety zone (CSZ), irrespective of whether the contravention occurred in a CSZ or school zone (i.e., the contravention amount is doubled). The contravention amounts are noted in O. Reg 355/22. 
2. Victim Component (VC): this is the same as the POA victim fine surcharge, except where the penalty amount is varied on appeal. Please see the VC section of the program guidelines for further information, as well as ss.6(2), 6(3), 6(4) and 6(5) of O. Reg 355/22.
3. Authorized Requestor Information Services (ARIS system) fee for plate owner information product: the amount of $8.25 reflects the costs incurred by the municipality to access the name and most recent address of the person who is subject to the penalty order and will also be paid by the contravener. Note: when obtaining plate registrant information, the registrant’s most recent address must be obtained, and not the address on the date that the contravention occurred. 

Set Penalty Amounts

Victims' Justice Fund 

Created by the Ontario Government, the Victims’ Justice Fund provides victims of crime with financial assistance for expenses in the case of an in-person hearing. Learn more on the Ministry of the Attorney General’s website. 

Automated speed enforcement is about safety. The system will only operate in Community Safety Zones where our most vulnerable residents – including children and seniors – are often found. Complying with the posted speed limit will ensure a penalty is not issued. 

The data collected by the automated speed enforcement system is encrypted and stored on a secure server.

No. A penalty is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

The penalty order is sent to the registered vehicle owner by mail at the last known address on file with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. 

Penalty orders are expected to arrive within 30 days (or less) of when the violation occurs.

If someone receives an ASE penalty the options will be included in more detail on the penalty order. However, in short, the penalty order recipient has two options:
1.    Pay the penalty amount according to the instructions outlined on the penalty order.
2.    Request to attend a screening to appeal the penalty order. 

It is important to note that if one of the options is not exercised within 30 days of the date of service indicated on the penalty order, , it will be deemed that the registered vehicle owner does not wish to dispute the penalty and the offence will be affirmed. Once affirmed, additional costs will be added to the total payable amount, as indicated on the penalty order. If the penalty amount is not paid and goes into default, an additional administrative fee will be added. 
Failure to pay a penalty may affect the registered vehicle owners’ ability to renew their licence plate or drivers licence, until the penalty and all additional fees are paid.
 

Privacy legislation does not allow cameras to capture of images of individuals who are driving though an automated speed enforced zone. This is the same with red-light cameras. Owner liability results in the registered vehicle owner receiving the penalty order.

Like toll charges, most rental agreements include a clause that enables rental agencies to pass any fines incurred along to the driver, sometimes with an additional administration fee.

Residents may have already noticed speed cameras in Vaughan. This is because York Region has an Automated Speed Enforcement program in place along regional roads. Learn more about York Region’s program at york.ca/traffic.

Road safety and speed compliance is a region-wide safety priority. The City’s program will complement York Region’s efforts to ensure overall improved road safety. 

An aligned speed enforcement strategy will work to improve driver behaviour and support York Regional Police’s efforts to improve traffic safety, reduce speeding and help protect vulnerable road users.