Drivers in three Southern California cities may soon receive automatic speeding tickets from speed cameras in the mail if the state legislature passes a new bill and Gov. Gavin Newsom signs it.
Assembly Bill 645 would authorize the installation of speed cameras in school zones and streets with a high rate of injuries and speeding problems in six pilot cities: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Oakland, San Jose and San Francisco.
The cameras would take a photo of a car’s license plate, which officials hope will solve privacy concerns, if the vehicle exceeds the speed limit by more than 11 mph. Fines would start at $50.
The program includes a provision that requires cities to reduce fines for those below the poverty line.
State and city officials and safe driving advocates discussed the proposed bill, which they hope will reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, at a news conference Tuesday.
According to National Transportation Safety Board (NHTSA), speeding accounts for nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities. In 2021, 4,285 Californians died as a result of traffic fatalities, of which 1,233 were pedestrians and bicyclists.
“If we want to stop traffic deaths and injuries, we have to slow people down,” said California Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, the bill’s author. “Speed cameras, using cameras for automated enforcement, are a proven way to slow drivers down and save lives.”
Speed cameras can reduce accidents on urban streets by up to 54%, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
In the city of NYspeeding in school zones fell by 63% after speed cameras were installed.
“People only think about getting to their destination as quickly as possible, but they don’t notice their surroundings. They are endangering people’s lives,” he said. Joshua Mora13, who lost a leg after being struck by a speeding motorcyclist while crossing the street in Boyle Heights.
If approved, the program would go into effect on January 1, 2024.
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52’s sister station, NBCLA. Click here to read this story in Spanish
