Speeding causes accidents. Accidents kills people. If someone cannot understand that simple thing then they should not be driving. Period.
Speed alone, in the context of this conversation doesn't cause the majority of accidents. I don't even like using the word accident, they're collisions. While excessive speed can cause a driver to lose control and contribute to the severity, simply traveling at 10-15 km/h above the posted limit (which is what the vast majority of tickets are issued for) on many streets isn't inherently dangerous. Especially since speed limits have been reduced by 10 km/h on many streets. If more than 50 percent of the combined total of fatal and injury crashes occur at or near intersections, then why is the majority of speed cameras set up mid-block? Can you say revenue?
Prior to the installation of the speed cameras, when was the last time you heard of a child being struck by a speeding car in a school zone? Don't get me wrong, one is too many, but it's not like this was happening on a daily basis. In a city the size of Toronto, thankfully it's a rare occurrence.
If the city was truly concerned about children's safety in school zones, they would adopt a system I've seen in many parts of the US. They put up signage and flashing lights to warn drivers that the speed limit is reduced and fines are doubled
during school hours. That's how you actually slow people down. But while they claim to be interested in safety, they're really more interested in generating revenue.
Speed camera vendors use revenue generation as their number one selling point. So it's easy to see why cash strapped cities like Toronto are keen on adopting them. It's also why they move them around. Send the ticket to the owner. No points, no insurance premium, no pulling you over and making you wait while the officer checks your ownership, registration and to see if you're impaired. Just a tax, a speed tax.