Automated Speed Enforcement

Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE)

Automated Speed Enforcement (aka "ASE") is an automated system that uses a camera and a speed measurement device to enforce speed limits, which helps make roads safer for all users.  ASE is designed to work in tandem with other road safety measures such as traffic calming (ie: road humps, etc.), community safety zones, school zones, digital traffic calming signs, education initiatives, and police enforcement, all of which help to improve safety for people of all ages by:

• increasing speed compliance
• altering driver behaviour
• increasing public awareness about the critical need to slow down

An ASE system captures and records images of vehicles that are travelling in excess of the posted speed limit in school zones and community safety zones, with tickets being issued to the owner of the vehicle (as registered on file with the Ministry of Transportation) regardless of who was driving.  This will result in a monetary fine.

If your vehicle is captured by the camera as going over the posted speed limit, here is what happens:

• The speed camera captures an image of the contravening vehicle which is reviewed by a Provincial Offences Officer.
• A Penalty Order gets mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle at the address on file with the Ministry of Transportation
  • **NOTE-the onus of responsibility lies with the registered owner of every vehicle to ensure that their updated address is on file with the Ministry of Transportation.
• Penalty Orders are mailed out within 23 days after the contravention occurred, and are deemed served on the seventh day after they are mailed out.  The registered owner then has 30 days to either make payment or to book an appeal.

The Township of Essa's ASE Program is administered under an Administrative Penalty System as opposed to the Provincial Offences Court.  As such, ASE Penalty Orders do NOT proceed through the courts.

• ASE Camera Facts & Frequently Asked Questions
• Ontario Regulation 398/19
• About Administrative Penalties (aka Penalty Orders)

ASE Camera Locations & Certificates of Accuracy

Essa's ASE Program is active in community safety zones and/or school zones within the municipality where speeding has proven to be a consistent problem based on data that had been collected and considered prior to deployment of ASE cameras.  All ASE cameras are deployed in Community Safety Zones and/or School Zones that have been designated through municipal By-laws.  Each location was prioritized using a data-driven approach that considers the severity of speeding in the area and other factors such as traffic volume, collision history and site suitability.

• By-law 2023-33 - Community Safety Zones 
• Interactive Map of ASE Cameras

Certificate(s) of Accuracy