Automated Speed Enforcement Comes to Oakland
Transform marked another milestone in our work for safer streets this week, thanks to legislation we helped pass in 2023. Under a pilot program created by AB 645 (Friedman), Oakland placed 18 speed cameras at key intersections to deter speeding vehicles, the leading cause of accidents and traffic violence. This follows a successful year of a similar pilot in San Francisco.
Preliminary speed camera data shows high proportion of drivers speeding
The Oakland cameras began issuing warnings last week and will start sending out tickets in March. Tickets start at $50 for cars going 11 mph over the speed limit, with discounted fees for low-income drivers and higher fines for greater speed violations. The citations don’t add points to drivers’ licenses and will help avoid confrontations between drivers and law enforcement.
San Francisco started its automated speed enforcement last year and has a dashboard where the public can see speeding data. Initial results verified what anyone who walks or rides a bike already knew: people drive too fast on city streets.
What’s more, speeding disproportionately impacts low-income residents, seniors, disabled persons, and communities of color. Black Oaklanders are three times as likely to be killed or severely injured while walking, while those over 65 years old are twice as likely to be killed in a crash, according to data from the City of Oakland.
Next steps for automated enforcement
Six percent of Oakland streets account for 60% of collisions, so the speed cameras are focused on this high-injury network. The cameras photograph only the license plate, not the face of anyone in the vehicle, and records are not stored long-term. The California pilot was designed with privacy and equity in mind.
Human traffic enforcement is spotty, since officers can’t be everywhere all the time, and is steeped in a legacy of discriminatory practice. Automated enforcement through cameras that operate 24/7 on dangerous streets has been proven to change driver behavior and reduce the need for traffic stops that can turn fatal for Black and brown drivers.
The pilot established under AB 645 lasts until 2032. Data collected during the pilot will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of automated speed enforcement to save lives. Transform will continue to advocate for evidence-based and equity-focused measures that enhance neighborhoods and make it safer for people of all ages to walk and roll to school, work, and other destinations.
