PCH speed camera bill headed for Gov. Newsom's desk

Ten months after four Pepperdine University students were fatally struck in a crash caused by an allegedly speeding driver on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, a state Senate bill calling for speed cameras in five locations along PCH cleared its final hurdle in the Legislature Friday and was headed for Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

Senate Bill 1297, authored by Sen. Ben Allen, D-El Segundo, and co- authored by Assemblyman Jacqui Irwin, D-Pacific Palisades, was approved by a 54- 6 vote in the Assembly on Thursday before returning to the Senate on Friday, when it got final legislative approval in a 36-4 vote. Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Burbank, and Sen. Henry Stern, D-Calabasas, also sponsored the measure.

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The bill would authorize the installation of five speed-camera systems along a 21-mile stretch of PCH in the Malibu area.

According to a statement from the city of Malibu, "These systems will be strategically placed in areas identified as having the highest incidence of speed-related collisions and fatalities. The goal is to deter speeding, reduce traffic accidents, and save lives in a community deeply affected by these issues."

In a statement Friday, Allen said, "The Legislature's passage of SB 1297 brings us one step closer to making the Pacific Coast Highway safer for everyone."

"The introduction of speed cameras will play a crucial role in curbing reckless driving and protecting both residents and visitors," Allen added. "I am hopeful that Governor Newsom will recognize the importance of this legislation and sign it into law on behalf of drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians along this stretch of highway."

The bill was introduced in February, some four months after the deaths of the four Pepperdine students -- Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams.

The students, who were all 20 or 21 years old, were killed on the night of Oct. 17, 2023, when a driver who was allegedly speeding west on PCH slammed into several parked cars on the north shoulder of the roadway. Sheriff's officials said those parked cars struck the four women, killing them at the scene.

The driver, Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, was charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

The tragedy prompted widespread calls for increased safety along the stretch of PCH, with an emphasis on slowing down speeders. Measures have also included infrastructure improvements, enhanced enforcement and community outreach.

"The approval of SB 1297 is just one more piece of the puzzle to save lives along one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in California," Irwin said in a statement Friday.

"This legislation builds on our efforts that led to Caltrans to spend over $4 million on road safety improvements along PCH over the past year."

Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart called the possibility of adding speed cameras to the stretch of PCH "a critical step forward in our ongoing efforts to make Malibu safer for everyone who travels along the Pacific Coast Highway."

"The loss of the four Pepperdine students was a devastating reminder of the dangers posed by speeding," Stewart said in a statement Friday.

``Now, I urge Governor Newsom to sign SB 1297 into law so we can start implementing these vital safety measures."

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