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(CHAT News)
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Speeding in neighbourhoods not a problem in Medicine Hat, police say

Jan 22, 2024 | 1:42 PM

Police data does not show speeding is a problem in Medicine Hat, according to its traffic sergeant.

“What the data indicates is that most people are driving at the speed limit or below the speed limit within our residential areas,” Sgt. Stacey Fishley told CHAT News.

That’s despite new polling from CAA that found nearly nine in 10 Canadians said they are deeply worried about speeding in residential areas.

Hatters seems to agree, taking to social media to raise the alarm over consistent speeders in the residential areas of the city.

But Fishley said that sometimes they could be misjudging the speed of the vehicles.

“The majority of people can’t estimate speeds very well,” Fishley said.

Sgt. Stacey Fishley says that sometimes a vehicle’s speed can be misjudged. (Bob Schnieder/CHAT News)

When a vehicle is going through a neighbourhood at 50 kilometres per hour, “they’re going to estimate it possibly as going faster than that,” he said.

“That’s why sometimes the speeds are inflated.”

Fishley did acknowledge there are sometimes those who break the limit.

“In every neighbourhood, you’re going to have someone who’s going to drive through at an increased speed, and unfortunately it’s usually a time when there’s no enforcement at the time,” he said.

“All we can do is keep doing what we’re doing: going into those neighbourhoods and enforcing the speed limits.”

Medicine Hat’s traffic safety strategy relies on a mixture of photo radar and police patrols, among other elements.

The Alberta government is currently carrying out a review of photo radar sites known as “fishing holes”.

Police Insp. Joe West recently told CHAT News the police would need to “adjust” its safety traffic plan if photo radar was reduced.

Medicine Hat residents are asked to report traffic violations to police.