The City of Los Angeles will begin installing 125 automated “speed safety systems” cameras this month that will issue fines to drivers for exceeding the speed limit.
“I think it’s stupid,” said Theo Howard, 19, a film production student. “If you’re going 11 miles over, you’re not really a hazard.”
The city does not agree.
The initiative, formally known as the Speed Safety System Program pilot, is part of AB 645, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into state law in 2023. Six cities will have a total of 185 cameras installed: Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.
San Francisco and Oakland were the first to issue tickets. Following the cameras’ installation, San Francisco officials reported that speeding decreased by an average of 72% at 15 different locations.
Camera installations in San Jose, however, have been paused. An $8.5 million federal grant issued by the Biden administration was set to fund the city’s update.
Los Angeles is on its own timeline. From February to March, a 30-day public review of proposed policies and locations was enforced, and the City Council unanimously adopted LADOT’s program on March 24.
Camera installations are planned to run from April to July. A 60-day public information campaign will also launch in the summer, along with the start of a 60-day warning period, during which violators will receive notices but not fines. By the end of the year, a formal ticket issuance and fine collection will begin, according to KTLA.
If additional cameras are introduced, the city must provide a 60-day notice in compliance with state law.
Eight to nine cameras will be installed in each of Los Angeles’ 15 City Council districts thus far. Impacted streets include Wilshire Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard, among others.
Nearby speed safety system locations
This map displays the locations of the 25 closest new cameras to USC. Click on the corridors for more detailed address information.
The city identified camera locations as high-risk intersections and corridors where drivers, cyclists and pedestrians face increased risk of traffic-related deaths. The selected streets include roads with proven safety issues, a history of street racing and school zones, according to LADOT.
“Systems will be installed across the city where speeding and crashes happen most often and where children, seniors and other vulnerable people are concentrated,” LADOT said in an online attachment.
The city’s recent installations of automated traffic cameras are not its first attempt. Red light cameras were installed across the city in the early 2000s, but the program was shut down in 2011 due to issues with program cost and enforcement, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.
In a statement to Annenberg Media, LADOT said the new program differs from red light camera programs since the current program requires cameras to be installed in locations with known safety issues, and is prohibited from being disproportionately located in low-income neighborhoods. LADOT also said that violations result in a $50 fee and a citation from LADOT, but do not add points to a driver’s license.
LADOT’s new program is no cheap fix. Its total estimated annual cost to run all 125 cameras is $7.95 million, including $6.75 million for equipment and vendor contracts, $1.2 million for staff salaries and fringe benefits, and a one-time $500,000 fee for professional services.
However, LADOT is already planning a five-year review of the program’s safety and economic impact, which will be reported to the state.
“Future expansion of the program,” LADOT media representatives said, “remains contingent upon the outcomes of this initial five-year phase and subsequent state authorization.”
The review will also include a racial and economic equity analysis, examining violations by ZIP code in collaboration with local stakeholder groups.
Despite high costs, officials say the program could significantly improve safety. According to LADOT, speeding is the cause of nearly one-third of traffic fatalities. Roadway speed cameras have been shown to reduce speeding by 31% to 82% and fatal crashes by 53% to 71%.
High speeds also reduce the chance of survival. Pedestrians hit by a car driving at 48 mph have a 25% chance of survival. At 33 mph, the survival rate increases to 75%, and at 23 mph, it reaches 90%.
The Washington-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration predicts the cameras could reduce serious injuries and deaths up to 37%.
So how does it work? The cameras will capture front and rear license plates, and this data will be used for automated traffic enforcement.
“The city remains committed to protecting driver privacy through an “Adopted Use Policy,” LADOT said. “Cameras capture only the rear of the vehicle and the license plate. State law prohibits the use of facial recognition technology or the storage of interior vehicle images, ensuring that enforcement focuses solely on vehicle speed and road safety.”
If they see the driver speeding, the city no longer requires a police officer or a member of the Highway Patrol to pull you over. Instead, you’ll be automatically mailed your minimum $50 fine.
“I don’t love them,” said Sebastian Alba, 22, a senior studying industrial design. “I understand the point of safety, but I’m not super excited for these because I just know there’s going to be instances where I know for sure that I wasn’t speeding.”
Fines increase based on how far drivers exceed the speed limit. They start at $50 for 11-15 mph over, $100 for 16-25 mph over, $200 for more than 26 mph and $500 for more than 100 mph over the limit.
“To be 20 over is valid,” said Orson Ford, 18, another film production student. “If you’re going the speed of traffic, that should just be applied to everything because the cops aren’t going to pull you over if everyone’s going 80.”
Other students see the program as a necessary safety measure.
“I understand the point of safety,” said Kiara Ferre, a civil engineering student, “especially because recently my friend was in a car crash.”
The city hopes this Speed Safety Program pilot will help LADOT realize its Vision Zero policy, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities.
“I think it’s a good thing,” Ferre said.