More California Cities Will Install Speed Cameras after San Francisco Success
Six more California cities will install speed cameras after San Francisco recorded over 400,000 violations six months into its pilot program.
Los Angeles, Oakland, San Jose, Long Beach, Glendale and Malibu are joining the Golden City by authorizing the adoption of dozens of new speed cameras over the coming months.
San Francisco installed 33 speed cameras in March and soon began recording over 1,000 violations a day. It issued more than 400,000 warnings from March to August and started giving out citations on Aug. 5.
“Speed cameras are proven to help keep people safe on the streets, and we are already seeing positive results from the warning period: Cameras are issuing fewer notices, and drivers are going at safer speeds,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement. “As our kids go back to school and more people continue to go into the office, we’re using this new technology to make our streets safer for our kids, our seniors, and our entire community.”
Average daily speeding incidents fell more than 30% between the pilot program’s first and seventh weeks. High-volume corridors recorded the largest changes, with speeding down from 63% to 40% at various San Francisco intersections.
The speed cameras can only be installed in state-defined safety corridors, school zones and areas with a history of street racing, per California law. They must also be placed evenly throughout neighborhoods with different socioeconomic statuses.
If a vehicle travels 11 to 15 miles over the posted limit, it receives a first-time written warning and a $50 fine for repeat offenses. The fine increases with higher speeds, capping at a $500 citation for drivers traveling 100 miles or more over the posted limit.
The speed cameras read only license plates and do not have facial recognition software. Collected fines will be used to pay for the cameras’ installment and other traffic safety upgrades.
Sources: San Francisco Office of the Mayor, Patch