Los Angeles drivers might want to adjust their foot on the gas pedal, as 125 new speed cameras are set to be fully installed across the city by late October. The Automated Speed Safety System aims to catch drivers exceeding the speed limit, with the completion date for installation now set for no later than October 26.
This rollout was originally slated for between April and July. However, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) needed the summer months to secure contracts for the construction, pushing back the timeline. Colin Sweeney, a spokesperson for LADOT, explained that the agency aimed to "do it right rather than do it fast" to avoid future problems.
LADOT officials, alongside Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez and Rep. Laura Friedman, jointly announced the October 26 completion deadline.
Once all 125 cameras are active, motorists will receive a 60-day grace period. During this time, only warnings will be issued to drivers photographed going 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit. Fines will begin to be issued after this grace period, sometime in late December.
The system works by taking a photo of a speeding vehicle's license plate. This license plate data is then used to identify the registered vehicle owner through the Department of Motor Vehicles. Violators will receive a notice of violation in the mail within 15 days of the infraction. Much like a parking ticket, these violations will not add points to a driver's license. However, the registered owner of the vehicle is responsible for paying the fine, even if someone else was driving at the time of the violation.
These cameras, authorized under Assembly Bill 645, will be distributed across the city’s 15 council districts, with each district receiving at least eight or nine cameras. They are specifically earmarked for high-injury areas, school zones, and known street racing hot-spots. The city's rationale for implementing the system is rooted in safety; nearly 300 people die in traffic crashes in Los Angeles each year, with speed identified as the leading contributing factor in these collisions.
According to LADOT, similar speed cameras have been shown to significantly reduce speeding, with reported reductions ranging from 31% to 82%, and a notable decrease in fatal crashes by 53% to 71%. Los Angeles is part of a broader statewide pilot program for automated speed enforcement, which also includes cities like San José, Oakland, Glendale, Long Beach, and San Francisco.
