Drivers who speed on streets in three Southern California cities soon may find a ticket waiting for them in their mailbox generated by a roadside speed camera.
Over the weekend Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 645 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), making speed cameras legal for the first time in the state. Under a six-city pilot program, the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Glendale can install cameras that generate fines starting at $50 for speeding 11 miles above the posted speed limit, $100 for 16 to 25 mph above, and $500 for going 100 mph or greater. San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland also are included in the pilot program.
Only those six cities can install roadway devices that snap photos of a vehicle’s license plate and mail a ticket to the registered owner for violating the speed limit — without ever being pulled over by a cop. Starting in January, the six California cities join 205 other communities in 21 states, including New York City and Chicago, in allowing speed cameras in high-accident corridors, street racing locations and school zones.
Friedman tried three times to pass similar bills and failed; the signing of AB 645 late Friday by Newsom was the eighth attempt since 2005 to bring speed cameras to California.
“It feels really good,” said Friedman on Monday, Oct. 16. “It is a relief after working on this policy for so long.”
The previous attempts were stopped by opposition from civil rights groups who said they would invade the privacy of drivers. Some argued that automated ticket cameras would disproportionately increase the burden on people of color and low-income neighborhoods. Often these areas, such as South Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, have wide streets designed for speed, not safety.
To combat opposition, Friedman added new provisions. The law allows fines to be reduced by up to 80% for low-income drivers. A judge can allow community service in lieu of cash payments, she said.
Also, Friedman and a coalition of 50 groups concerned about the increase in traffic fatalities, with rising death rates for pedestrian and cyclists — often underscored by excessive speed — point out that the automated citations are treated like parking tickets, adding no points on a driver’s record. Also, most ticket camera fines are less than a speeding ticket issued by an officer, which range from $238 to $490 in California.
The measure allows cameras to take pictures of license plates, not driver’s faces, addressing privacy concerns, Friedman said. And each city involved is limited by the number of cameras allowed, on select streets, based on population. The locations must be vetted through public neighborhood meetings.
The first ticket for a driver is a warning, which Friedman said often results in drivers slowing down the next time they drive past a speed camera.
“This is not a getcha revenue generator,” Friedman said. “This is designed to change driver behavior. It is not about being punitive but rather meant to slow people down.”
Road safety groups such as Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE) and Streets for All, both in Los Angeles County, and Walk SF, pushed for speed cameras because studies indicate that about one-third of all traffic fatalities involve vehicles exceeding the speed limit. They were joined in support by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Centers for Disease Control, the Automobile Club of Southern California and many cities in California, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and Glendale as well as LAUSD.
Traffic accidents near our school communities are heartbreaking and preventable. Thank you @CAgovernor Newsom for working to ensure safe passages for students and families.
Newly signed legislation to bring speed cameras to LA, Long Beach and Glendalehttps://t.co/Kvz2PSaQl2
— Alberto M. Carvalho (@LAUSDSup) October 16, 2023
About 30% of all traffic collisions in Los Angeles County that result in fatalities and/or serious injuries involve speeding as the primary factor, according to statistics kept at U.S. Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS).
In 2022, 843 people died and another 4,222 people were severely injured by “traffic violence” in Los Angeles County, according to TIMS. Since 2011, traffic fatalities in L.A. County rose 64%, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“There is an exponential increase on every mile you are going faster in terms of survivability,” Friedman said. “Your reaction time is different; your stopping time is different.” A person struck by a vehicle going 20 mph has a 5% chance of dying. Someone hit by a vehicle traveling 40 mph has an 80% chance of dying, according to statistics from SAFE.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which opposed the bill, said cities should install speed humps, better lighting and use more enforcement instead of adding ticket cameras. But Friedman said changing a street’s design is very expensive and it would take many years to make such changes.
The more than 42,000 traffic deaths nationwide in 2021 and in 2022 represented the highest levels in 16 years, according to NHTSA. Many in favor of the bill said it is a public health epidemic that cries out for new tools so cities can reduce traffic fatalities from collisions and deaths of pedestrians and cyclists.
“While city and county officials go through the very slow and expensive process of reengineering streets to make them safer in the future, we need a way to protect our communities from traffic violence right now,” said Damian Kevitt, executive director of SAFE in a prepared statement.
Besides acting as a deterrent to slow down drivers, studies in other states found they have reduced crashes and fatalities. The Federal Highway Administration found speed cameras reduced traffic collisions on urban streets by 54%.
“Speeding is getting worse. People are dying. This bill (now law) tries to tackle reckless speeding,” Friedman said.
Each of the cities can begin installing safety speed cameras in January. After they’re installed, ticket revenue must be used to pay for the installation and upkeep of the systems. Any leftover revenue must be put toward physical traffic calming measures, Friedman said.