California is introducing automated speed cameras in major cities starting in 2024.
Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing for the trial of automated speed cameras in Oct. 2023. The trial will occur in six California cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Glendale, and Long Beach.
Vehicles detected going 11 mph or more over the speed limit will first be given notices and then tickets. This type of camera has not yet been used in California. The bill was signed as a response to pedestrian death rates.
In California, 1,100 pedestrians were struck and killed in 2022, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). The goal of the speed cameras is to reduce the speed of vehicles in the area.
According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, a car going 20 mph that strikes a pedestrian has a 10% chance of resulting in a fatality. In comparison, a 40 mph collision has an 80% fatality rate.
“Enforcement must be part of our work to make our streets safer, and speed cameras can be a key part of that work,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed after the bill’s signing.
The bill will allow cameras to be in place for 18 months unless they prove very effective, in which case they will remain active.
“Since there are a lot of people that go pretty fast, I think the cameras will slow people down,” said Reilly Becker, a Carlmont junior.
Becker has had his driver’s license for over a year and has been driving routinely since.
“It’s not like I will purposefully go over the speed limit, but every once in a while, I will go over the speed limit, especially late at night,” Becker said.
For the first 60 days of implementation, warning notices will given when violations are detected. In addition, the first violation for traveling 11 to 15 mph over the speed limit will result in a warning notice.
Similarly, the bill will allow low-income people to perform community service instead of paying fines to ensure low-income residents do not face a disproportionate penalty.
However, the cameras do not have broad support.
“If there were cameras, I would be worried about it and always be checking my speed,” said Porter Pope, a Carlmont sophomore who recently got his learner’s permit. “It’s one more unnecessary thing to think about.”
Throughout California, many young drivers have learner’s permits. According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 60% of people obtain their licenses before age 18.
The results of the trial cameras will determine how the government chooses to approach future traffic issues.
“If I knew where the cameras were, I wouldn’t exceed the speed limit there,” Becker said.
