With passage of bill, speed cameras will be piloted in six Californian cities and counties

The latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents a 3.3 percent decrease in roadway deaths in the United States over the first half of this year. Even so, the estimated 19,000 roadway deaths that have occurred so far remains significantly higher than the 17,000 fatalities recorded during the same period in 2019. Many communities are combating this rise in traffic deaths with speed cameras, which have been shown to reduce severe and fatal crashes by as much as 58 percent, according to a statement from Walk San Francisco (Walk SF), an advocacy organization.

California is the latest state to turn to cameras as a deterrent for speed—a primary cause of traffic deaths nationwide, and the state’s leading cause—joining 21 other states and 205 local governments across the country that have passed similar measures. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the legislation last week, piloting the deployment of speed cameras in Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, Glendale and Long Beach, along with the city and county of San Francisco under a speed enforcement program.

“This is a huge win for safe streets, and so many of us who have worked on this are celebrating today. We are grateful that the Governor saw the urgent need for this life saving solution,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco in the statement. “Dangerous speeding hurts and kills people every day in California, and every possible action must be taken to prevent these senseless tragedies.”

In San Francisco, the bill allows administrators to pilot 33 cameras, installed on streets with the highest crash rates, or in school zones. The exact positioning of each camera will be decided in part by the local community to ensure equity. The program will launch in early 2025 and is authorized through 2032.

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