It’s only July, but Calgary has already surpassed last year’s total for speed-related collisions.According to the Calgary Police Service (CPS), unsafe speed contributed to 20% of all traffic collisions in 2024.As of July 17, the 2025 figure was already 8.1% higher.Last year, Calgary recorded 29 fatal collisions — the highest number since 2013 — and 35% of those collisions involved unsafe or excessive speed.Collisions resulting in serious or fatal injuries caused by speeding have risen by 9.1% and 5.6% respectively, compared to 2024.One major hotspot is Stoney Tr., which has seen five fatal and three serious crashes this year..Alberta ends photo radar 'cash cow,' launches traffic safety fund .CPS told the Western Standard that “of these eight incidents, six involved high speeds, reinforcing what we already know: speed is a major factor in the severity of collisions.”It’s likely no coincidence that Stoney Tr. is one of the city’s major freeways without any photo radar — also known as Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE).Since Apr. 1, 2025, the Alberta government has removed ATE sites from provincial highways and connectors, restricting photo radar use to school, playground, and construction zones within city limits.“We have officially killed the photo radar cash cow and the revenue-generating ‘fishing holes’ that made Alberta the biggest user of photo radar in Canada,” Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen said in a news release at the time.At a press conference on March 14, Dreeshen explained that new restrictions would be “limited to where enforcement truly matters,” reducing the number of photo radar sites across the province from 2,200 to 650.“We are encouraging municipalities to explore traffic-calming measures such as electronic speed-warning signs and increased visibility of photo radar use at remaining sites,” Dreeshen added.To replace ATE revenue, the provincial government created a $13-million Traffic Safety Fund to help municipalities upgrade dangerous roads and intersections.As of July, the fund was in its application phase, and CPS said it was preparing to apply for additional ATE devices across the city..Canadian collision reporting company rolls out online tool to deal with accidents .However, a June report from the Calgary Police Commission revealed that CPS has already faced a $28‑million loss in revenue due to the removal of photo radar.Police Chief Mark Neufeld has previously criticized the decision to end ATE, citing data showing that photo radar reduced injury collisions by 25% at the 20 most frequently monitored locations in Calgary.As a result of the revenue loss, CPS has paused civilian hiring and reduced overtime pay.“ATE has historically played a vital role in our overall traffic safety program,” CPS said in a statement.“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. Automation also helped ensure our limited police resources were used more efficiently, allowing officers to focus on other critical public safety priorities.”
