Someone sabotaged Toronto's most notorious speed camera and locals are fuming

A speed camera monitoring one of Toronto's most dangerous stretches of road — known to have raked in millions in fines since installed in 2022 — was vandalized this week, just the latest salvo in a battle between road safety advocates and speeding drivers on Parkside Drive.

A post shared in the Safe Parkside Facebook group on Monday shows the new speed camera on Parkside Drive blinded by red spray paint.

"Didn't take very long for Parkside's permanent speed camera to get vandalized," said an administrator of the group, adding, "it will be nice when we finally get some safety measures that can't be so easily thwarted and are much more effective."

One user replied to the photo with disappointment, saying, "The revolt from drivers who want the right to speed and endanger others with no consequences is one of the darker aspects of these times... I feel like anyone who does this should face stiff penalties but we all know that's not gonna happen."

"Wow people are so desperate — this is ridiculous," said another user.

One driver who passes through the area played devil's advocate, alleging that "the design of the road is part of the problem."

"I sometimes drive there and have to be on my brakes constantly to stay under 40. Needless to say, everyone else is passing me. They need to get on the physical changes."

Another said the act of vandalization should be treated as a "serious crime," saying, "one speeder is bad and dangerous. By vandalizing cameras, they are enabling many people to speed."

The Parkside Drive speed camera was installed in April 2022, and has quickly become the most notorious traffic-calming measure in the city.

As of October 2023, the camera had raked in over $4 million in fines over just 18 months of operation.