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.
The Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors’ January 2025 response to the resolution states that ABmunis resolution will be considered in any future reviews of provincial traffic fine offences. The Minister also communicated that current penalties for exceeding the speed limit in a school or playground zone include:
- Fines ranging from $81 to $495; and
- Demerit points ranging from two to six, depending on how many kilometres over the speed limit the driver is convicted of travelling.
“A driver convicted of exceeding the speed limit by 10 kilometres per hour faces a $110 fine and two demerit points. Drivers charged with exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 kilometres per hour may be required to appear before a justice and, if convicted, could face a fine of up to $2,400 and/or incarceration for up to six months, as well as a driver's licence suspension of up to three months, or six demerit points if no suspension is ordered.”
ABmunis’ Rating of the Government’s Response
Intent not met – further action will not be taken.
ABmunis’ Notes and Actions
Doubling fines and increasing demerit points for speeding in school and playground zones would make Alberta the province with the highest penalties for these offences in Canada.
In considering ABmunis’ advocacy prioritization framework, this resolution is deemed a low priority as: