California, Land of the Car, Could Soon Have Speed Cameras

SAN FRANCISCO — California likes to think of itself as a cutting-edge lab for policymaking, a place where laws get passed first and then copied around the country.

But for years, it has banned a basic measure used in many cities to slow drivers: the speed camera. In the state that practically invented car culture and the thrill of hitting the open road, speed cameras have faced steep resistance.

That could now change, as a bill to install cameras on a trial basis has landed on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk at a moment when pedestrian deaths are spiking nationwide, but especially in California.

Fueled by faster, riskier drivers, bigger vehicles and less police enforcement of traffic laws, pedestrian deaths nationwide rose 77% to 7,624 from 2010 to 2021, according to federal data.

In California alone, 1,100 pedestrians died in crashes last year, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, a nonprofit that represents states’ safety offices.

The legislation on Newsom’s desk, which he has until Oct. 14 to sign or veto, would allow a handful of cities including San Francisco and Los Angeles to install cameras on a trial basis. A spokesperson for the governor said he doesn’t comment on pending legislation.

If signed, the legislation would allow California to join 205 communities in 21 states where speed cameras are in use and have been widely credited with slowing drivers.

Previous efforts dating back six years have failed after opponents expressed concerns about privacy and equity.

Human Rights Watch sent a letter earlier this year to the Senate saying speed cameras would increase the surveillance state and issue fines to people who can’t afford them. “Communities need investments in public transportation and traffic calming infrastructure — not cameras — to keep them safe,” the group said in the letter.

The speed camera program would not be run by police but by cities’ transportation departments.

Drivers going 11 mph above the posted speed limit would receive tickets, with fines starting at $50 and increasing for higher speeds. They would be like parking tickets, with no points added to one’s driving record. The program would allow cities to reduce fines for low-income people or allow them to complete community service hours instead.

This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/us/california-speed-cameras-pedestrians.html">The New York Times</a>.