Camrose Police Service advise residents and visitors to Camrose that the Intersection Safety Devices (ISDs) located at the intersection of 68 Street and 48 Avenue will be reactivated, in accordance with Provincial approval, on October 10, 2025.
What is an ISD?
The ISD, also referred to as a “red light” or “speed on green”, is an automated camera that detects and records traffic violations such as speeding and/or running a red light. The device takes evidence of infractions which can lead to violation tickets and fines.
In 2019 Camrose City Council approved the installation of the ISDs at this intersection of 68 Street and 48 Avenue, in an effort to deter drivers from running red lights and speeding, lower the number and severity of collisions and improve overall safety of the roadways in Camrose. In January 2020, the ISDs was activated.
New Provincial Policy
On April 1, 2025 the Province of Alberta prohibited the use of Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) on all provincial highways and connector roads, with the exception of school zones, playgrounds and construction zones and limited the use of ISDs to red light enforcement only.
Because 48 Avenue is a connector, red light enforcement on 48 Avenue was also prohibited. In compliance with the Provincial mandate, Camrose Police deactivated the IDSs at the intersection of 68 Street and 48 Avenue April of this year.
Camrose ATE Program, implemented in 1995, consists of the following:
-one mobile unit and,
– two ISD devices installed at 68 Street and 48 Avenue (due to high collision rates year over year and challenges with conventional enforcement or engineering changes.)
The Program has been compliant and in good standing with the Province year over year since inception and has been successfully audited.
The Province, did however, allow municipalities to present a business case for exemption from the new ATE policy if evidence supported road safety concerns rather than revenue generation.
With the approval of the Camrose Police Commission, Camrose Police Service presented a business case to the Province to allow the use of ATE (reactivation of the ISDs for both red light and speed violations) at the intersection of 68 Street and 48 Avenue, citing the following:
The intersection of 68 Street and 48 Avenue has:
- been the number one intersection collision site in Camrose every year for the past ten years.
- a collision to vehicle volume ratio that is four times higher than five other comparable intersections in Camrose.
- had 52 collisions over the past five years (53 per cent more than the next highest intersection collision location.)
- ranked first in injury collisions over the past five years.
- led the City in the number of vehicles and total vehicle damage for each of the past three years.
Since the installation of the ISDs in January of 2020 at this intersection, there had been a 27 per cent reduction in collisions at this site.
Since de-activation of the ISDs on April 1, each month has experienced significant increases in total violations, red light violations and speed on green violations (the devices still recorded violations, but no flash or violations issued.)
In 2025 the collision rate at the intersection of 68 Street and 48 Avenue is on pace to experience a 133 per cent increase overall, and a 150 per cent increase in injury collisions based on year-to-date collision data.
Province Approved
A letter from the Province, dated August 18, indicated that the business case presented by Camrose Police Service was found to justify the approval criteria of:
- clear evidence of collision occurrences, existing risk, and necessity of ATE at the intersection,
- a lack of or ineffective alternative measures to ATE, and
- a commitment to implement complementary strategies in conjunction with ATE.
Resulting in approval by the Province for the reactivation of the ISD’s for both eastbound and westbound traffic at the intersection of 68 Street and 48 Avenue.
Once again motorists are advised that as of October 10, 2025 the ISDs located at the intersection of 68 Street and 48 Avenue will be reactivated.
