Editorial: California, legalize speed cameras and save lives

What if California might shortly make a number of the state’s most speed-prone and harmful streets safer? With visitors deaths on the rise in California, and significantly in cities, resembling Los Angeles and San Jose, you’d assume lawmakers would eagerly undertake a confirmed technique for saving lives.

You’ll be incorrect. In 2021 and 2022, state legislators killed payments that might override the state prohibition on automated pace enforcement and let some cities set up pace cameras to catch and ticket motorists who egregiously exceed the pace restrict.

This yr, lawmakers are contemplating a proposal for a five-year pilot program to check the effectiveness of pace cameras in six cities: Los Angeles, Glendale, Lengthy Seashore, San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland. Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) has written Meeting Invoice 645 to make sure pace cameras are used as a security device — not a cash maker for cities.

There’s no purpose to not attempt pace cameras in California. Automated pace enforcement is utilized in 189 communities throughout the nation and in different nations with nice success. An overview of 28 research discovered that after cameras have been put into use, all crashes within the neighborhood decreased between 8% and 49%. Deadly and severe harm crashes dropped between 11% and 44%.

Extreme pace is a think about almost 30% of visitors fatalities. And it may well make the distinction between life and dying. A pedestrian hit by a automobile touring round 20 mph has a 90% probability of survival; at 40 mph, 50%, and at speeds above 50 mph, the survival price is 25%, in accordance with a 2011 evaluation. (And that was earlier than the proliferation of SUVs and pickups which might be taller, heavier and extra lethal to pedestrians.)

Furthermore, exceeding the pace restrict has turn into the norm, significantly on large, straight streets that have been designed to maneuver vehicles shortly. Analysis means that drivers continuously underestimate how briskly they’re driving by as much as 30%.

That’s the place pace cameras might be helpful. They’re each an training device, with loads of indicators alerting drivers to decelerate, and an enforcement device to curb harmful habits. Seven years after Montgomery County, Md., adopted the nation’s first automated pace enforcement program, 76% of drivers surveyed stated the cameras had triggered them to decelerate.

AB 645 would permit six cities to place up a restricted variety of automated pace enforcement methods, relying on their inhabitants. For instance, L.A., with greater than 3 million residents, might set up a most of 125 cameras. Glendale, a metropolis with a inhabitants of lower than 300,000, might set up not more than 9. The cameras might solely go at school zones or on streets recognized as having excessive numbers of visitors accidents and deaths or having issues with road racing. Throughout the first 60 days of operation, dashing motorists caught by the digicam would solely obtain a warning.

The legislation would let cities ticket vehicles going greater than 11 mph over the pace restrict. The violations could be civil penalties, and the positive would enhance with the pace recorded: $50 for driving 11 mph over the pace restrict; $100 for 16 mph over the restrict; $200 for 26 mph over the restrict; and $500 for driving over 100 mph. Cities must lower the penalties by half, or extra, for low-income households.

Ticket income may very well be used to cowl program prices and for road initiatives designed to gradual visitors. However any leftover cash would go to the state to fund pedestrian and bicycle security initiatives, not metropolis coffers.

To handle the professional fairness issues, cities must work with communities and analyze the potential racial and financial impacts of pace enforcement cameras. That’s vital as a result of a number of the deadliest streets are positioned in low-income communities of colour, the place cities have uncared for to put in sidewalks, bike paths, streetlights and medians that may naturally gradual speeds. Whereas automated pace enforcement might doubtlessly lower down on racial bias in visitors enforcement, cities should be cautious to make sure these communities aren’t disproportionately penalized by pace cameras.

The invoice additionally makes an attempt to alleviate issues about privateness and surveillance. The cameras received’t use facial recognition software program. As an alternative the methods will seize the rear license plate of all passing automobiles. If there’s a pace violation the ticket would go to the proprietor of the automobile. If there’s no violation, the pace digicam knowledge could be destroyed inside 5 days. The knowledge collected is confidential and might solely be launched below courtroom order.

Right here’s the important thing to AB 645 — it’s a take a look at of the know-how. If it doesn’t work or advocates discover deadly flaws within the operation, California can once more ban pace cameras. However the proof suggests automated pace enforcement is sweet for communities. It’s about time lawmakers legalize pace cameras and save lives.