MTO to Utilize Radar to Increase Speed Limiter Enforcement

This spring the Ontario Ministry of Transportation will begin equipping its patrol vehicles with radar devices to help MTO officers’ step-up enforcement of the province’s speed limiter requirement.

The pilot is intended to assist officers in the enforcement of Sec. 68.1 of the Highway Traffic Act, which requires most large commercial motor vehicles to have a functioning speed limiting system set at 105 km/h.

MTO informs the OTA that it’s in the process of purchasing the radar units as part of a pilot program.

Multiple teams of officers are expected to begin training on the devices this April. Each region will be issued a radar unit and officers will primarily focus their enforcement on major highways with speed limits of 100 km/h.

Once MTO vehicles are equipped with radar, observing officers will be able to clock commercial motor vehicles and will be able to charge any driver traveling at 115 km/h or greater for violating the province’s speed limiter law. The radar reading will be used as evidence that the speed limiter is not functioning under the “deeming provision” outlined in the regulations. Officers will not lay a tampering charge strictly based on the radar reading.

Radar is meant to enhance the current speed limiter enforcement program so officers will also continue to use ECM readers to determine whether or not the speed limiter is activated.