Windsor issues more red light camera tickets as program expands

Red light camera in Windsor, Ont. on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

Windsor issued more red light camera tickets in 2025 as the city expanded the number of monitored intersections.

A report presented to city council shows 5,800 tickets were issued last year, up from 5,034 in 2024.

The increase comes as the city doubled its number of cameras to 20, with 10 new units installed throughout 2025. Four became operational in August, followed by two in September and another four in November.

Red light cameras were first introduced in Windsor in January 2022. The devices capture images of vehicles entering an intersection after the light has turned red.

Windsor’s Manager of Provincial Offences, Chris Carpenter, says each potential violation is reviewed before a ticket is issued.

“Just because we have more cameras also doesn’t mean people are running the cameras as much. That’s part of the intent of the red light program, to change driver habits and behaviours,” he said.

Carpenter says the goal is deterrence, not revenue.

“We would actually like the numbers of tickets to go down even as the cameras go up because that means they’re having the deterrent effect we’re looking for.”

Drivers who receive a red light camera ticket face a $325 fine, but city officials say the broader objective is to reduce collisions and improve road safety.

Ward 8 Councillor Gary Kaschak says it remains concerning that some drivers continue to run red lights.

“It’s very well publicized. We’re not trying to trick anybody; it’s not a gotcha moment or anything like that,” he said.

“We tell people where they’re at, and we tell people to be careful; there’s signage, it’s all over the media and social media, and we still get some of that.”

Kaschak says the program is aimed at making busy corridors safer.

“The way roads have been created — Tecumseh Road and Cabana Road and places like that with six lanes wide and four lanes wide — they’re built to go a little faster,” he said.

“We want people to move, traffic to move in the city, but at the same time, we want safety.”

According to the city’s Provincial Offences annual report, the red light camera program generated a net profit of $886,069 in 2025, down from $1,138,936 the previous year.

The report notes revenue from tickets issued in late 2025 will not be realized until 2026, while costs increased as the city expanded from 10 to 20 cameras.

Camera locations are selected using collision data from Windsor police, focusing on intersections with a higher number of side-impact crashes.

- With files from AM800.