More than two thirds of British Columbians have approved of the use of speed-on-green intersection cameras since 2018.
Vancouver, BC [June 29, 2021] – The concept of relying on red light cameras to capture vehicles that are speeding through intersections continues to be welcomed by a large proportion of British Columbians, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative provincial sample, 71% of British Columbians are in favour of using speed-on-green intersection cameras in the province, while 20% disapprove and 8% are undecided.
More than two thirds of British Columbians have approved of this type of speed enforcement in Research Co. surveys conducted in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
“As was the case last year, support for the use of speed-on-green cameras is higher among women (74%) than men (69%),” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Residents aged 55 and over are also more likely to be in favour of this concept (78%) than their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (68%) and aged 18-to-34 (67%).”
Sizeable majorities of residents who voted for the BC Green Party (78%), the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) (76%) and the BC Liberals (70%) in the 2020 provincial election also back the use of speed-on-green cameras.
On a regional basis, support for the concept is highest in Northern BC (82%), followed by Vancouver Island (77%), the Fraser Valley (74%), Southern BC (73%) and Metro Vancouver (68%).
Automated speed enforcement works by using cameras or sensors to pick up a vehicle speeding. A ticket is then issued to the owner of the vehicle. Driver’s license points are not issued as the driver of the vehicle cannot be identified.
Majorities of British Columbians are also in favour of three other types of automated speed enforcement. More than seven-in-ten (72%, +1 since 2020) approve of the use of fixed speed cameras, or cameras that stay in one location and measure speed as a vehicle passes.
More than three-in-five British Columbians (64%, -4 since 2020) support the use of mobile speed cameras, which can be moved from place to place and measure speed as a vehicle passes.
A slim majority of British Columbians (53%, -5 since 2019) endorse the use of point-to-point speed enforcement, which relies on cameras placed at two or more distant points on a road. The average speed of vehicles that pass between points is calculated and tickets are issued to vehicles whose average speed over the distance was excessive.
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from June 18 to June 20, 2021, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca