Los Angeles is set to activate 125 speed cameras across the city by the end of the year as part of a new traffic safety initiative aimed at reducing speeding and related crashes. The cameras will be installed in 15 city council districts, focusing on high-injury locations, school zones, and areas affected by street racing. Each district will receive at least eight cameras.

Following activation, a 60-day warning period will be implemented during which drivers caught going 11 mph or more over the speed limit will receive a written notice rather than a fine. After this grace period, violations will incur monetary penalties. Fines range from $50 for speeds 11 to 15 mph above the limit to $500 for exceeding 100 mph over the limit. The citations will be mailed to the registered vehicle owner within 15 days and, like parking tickets, will not add points to a driver’s license. Vehicle owners are responsible for paying the fines regardless of who was driving.

The program operates under Assembly Bill 645, which was authored by Assemblywoman Friedman. She emphasized that the cameras will capture only the rear license plates, will not photograph the drivers, and that images without violations will be deleted within five days to protect privacy. The first cameras are set to go live this month near schools, on dangerous corridors, and in areas known for street racing.

Mayor Karen Bass highlighted the initiative as part of a broader effort to improve street safety, stating the program will help hold reckless drivers accountable and protect Angelenos as they travel to school, work, and home. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) noted that nearly 300 people are killed annually in city traffic crashes, with speeding identified as the leading cause. Studies cited by LADOT indicate that speed cameras can reduce speeding by 31% to 82% and lessen fatal crashes by 53% to 71%.

The introduction of speed cameras in Los Angeles is part of a statewide pilot program that also includes San José, Oakland, Glendale, Long Beach, and San Francisco. Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar Soto-Martínez underscored the urgency of addressing traffic violence, pointing out that more people die from traffic incidents in the city than from homicides. “If we can prevent a child from being hit on the way to school, or a family from losing someone on the way home, then we have a responsibility to take action,” he said.