California drivers won’t smile for the camera.
Six cities in the Golden State will install speed cameras at busy intersections next year, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law authorizing a speed camera program, the first time they have been allowed in the state.
The cameras are planned to be installed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, Glendale and San Jose with the stated goal of addressing the rise in pedestrian deaths in the state.
“Speed is by far the number one reason people are hit and killed on our streets in Los Angeles,” Damian Kevitt, executive director of Streets are for Everyone, told local television station KTLA.
“We have a growing problem of road violence. We have an increasing number of people who are dying or being seriously injured. You see it on the news every night.
Security cameras are placed on a pole under a traffic light as pedestrians walk down Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills. The city of Beverly Hills has added hundreds of cameras to its already extensive surveillance network in recent years. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Speed was blamed as “by far the biggest reason people are hit and killed on our Los Angeles streets.” Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“It requires signage in front of the cameras showing that this is an area where if you don’t reduce your speed you will get a ticket. This is not something that catches you. This is a deterrent. It’s a way of saying, ‘Hey, people, slow down.'”
Community members must approve before cameras are installed in areas near school zones and areas known for racing and a high volume of traffic collisions. About a dozen previous bills to introduce radar have failed.
The cameras will automatically ticket drivers who exceed the posted speed limit by 11 mph. Motorists will receive a warning for the first ticket, but will be fined $50 for the second offense.
A general view of a red light camera or speed camera in Los Angeles, seen on August 13, 2018.Christopher Sadowski
Low-income drivers would only receive a $25 fine, according to the bill.
Los Angeles had tried a similar program before in 2004, installing cameras to ticket people who ran red lights in high-traffic areas throughout the city. The city council unanimously decided to abandon the program in 2011, according to the Los Angeles Times.
City traffic engineers said the cameras sometimes did more harm than good, as drivers slammed on the brakes when they saw a yellow light as they approached the intersection, causing rear-end accidents.
The city of Los Angeles decided to turn off all of its 32 red light cameras on July 31, 2011. The intersections forced to take red light photos depended on the willingness of those ticketed to pay the fines. The courts did not enforce violations as traffic officers were often unable to testify in court. Corbis via Getty Images
The city also couldn’t keep up with tracking down drivers who didn’t pay or appear in court for their violations. Some motorists also complained that fines were mailed to the registered owners of the vehicle instead of the driver who was actually driving it.
Lawmakers have tried to pass the bill but failed three times in the past six years, with people objecting that the cameras invade drivers’ privacy.
Other critics were also concerned that drivers in low-income communities would be saddled with fines that residents cannot pay.
This time, lawmakers amended the bill, now allowing those with lower incomes to choose to perform community service instead of paying fines, according to the New York Times.
Speed camera programs are already used in other cities such as Chicago and New York, where officials said their speed camera program has reduced speeding by 73%.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn