Canada Photo Radar Lottery Rewards Drivers For Driving Under The Speed Limit

Canmore, Alberta – Police in one Canada town sometimes pull drivers over to reward them for safe motoring.

Canmore, a mountain town located west of Calgary, started a program back in March whereby drivers photographed by the RCMP’s photo radar driving under the speed limit have their license plates entered into a lottery each week. At the drawing, one lucky law-abiding citizen gets a $250 gift card to a Canmore business of their choice, reports The Huffington Post.

Coun. Sean Krausert first suggested the idea after learning of a similar reward system in Europe, reports The Calgary Herald. “Positive reinforcement strikes me as an effective and creative way to approach photo radar,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re the only municipality in Alberta — if not North America — that is doing this sort of thing.”

Canmore resident Andrew Ewan agrees that the program is a positive thing for town residents.

“I think it’s great to be actually not so scared of a policeman following you all the time, going ‘Oh, what am I doing wrong?’ You could be caught for doing something right,” Ewan said.

Photo radar was introduced in Canmore in 2007, and officials have struggled over what to do with the money they’ve collected from speeding motorists. It’s normally used to hire more RCMP officers.

Canmore expects to pull in over $100,000 next year from driving fines, and will use $10,000 of it in their photo radar lottery.

Would you like to see something like the photo radar lottery in the states? Sound off!