CALIFORNIA—In October 2023, the California Assembly passed AB 645, a legislative initiative to implement a traffic speed safety program across six cities. Speed detection cameras are at the heart of the program, which was first implemented by San Francisco in March 2025, and is expected to roll out to Glendale, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Jose over the next few months.
The installation of automated speed enforcement systems will last for at least five years; it is intended to improve road traffic safety, particularly in school zones, problematic intersections, and freeway sections with a high concentration of high-speed accidents. Essentially, the system detects vehicles moving at 11 mph over the speed limit; the sensors activate cameras to capture license plate numbers, and traffic tickets are issued automatically to registered owners.
The program features public awareness and amnesty periods. In the 30 days before installation, city officials must inform drivers about the program. During the 60 days after installation, the tickets are waived and replaced with warning notices. The schedule of fines is incremental; it starts at $50 for going between 11 and 15 mph over the posted limit. Drivers caught on camera at 16 to 26 mph over the limit will be fined $100. Reckless drivers who push their vehicles to 100 mph will get $500 traffic tickets in the mail.
A Challenging Implementation for San Francisco
In May 2025, an ABC 7 News report indicated that only 18 of the first 33 cameras installed in San Francisco were working properly. The SF County Transportation Authority explained that utility provider PG&E was having problems running power to the non-functional cameras. Despite this setback, the working cameras were recording thousands of speeding violations, and many drivers received warnings in their mailboxes.
Under the rules set by the Transportation Authority, traffic citations shouldn’t be issued until all cameras are active. This means that the 60-day grace period will have to be extended until PG&E can solve the technical issues.
City officials strongly deny that they are trying to cash in on AB 645. They contend that the pilot program aims to change driving behavior and raise public awareness about the dangers of speeding. There’s also a legal angle herein; law firms that defend drivers against traffic citations could raise assertive defenses by pointing out technical issues. If a driver succeeds in getting a $500 speeding camera ticket dismissed through an administrative review and subsequent appeal before the Superior Court, the costs to the county and state would significantly surpass the fine amount.
Will the Program Boost Road Traffic Safety?
AB 645 passed as a five-year pilot program, so the Assembly is hoping for a positive outcome after it is reviewed. Similar programs in Maryland and North Carolina have been reviewed by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which estimates that automated speed enforcement systems can reduce injurious and fatal accidents by up to 37%.
Speeding, along with distracted driving and driving under the influence, is a leading cause of fatal traffic accidents. Cameras and speed sensors can certainly be effective in increasing safety because they directly target speeders by hitting their wallets. The public awareness campaigns and warning periods are conducive to the behavioral change goals.
Ultimately, the success of AB 645 rests on how it will be managed. The program must be technologically efficient and transparent. The cameras have the potential to encourage drivers to obey speed limits and make California roads safer.
