One year in, San Francisco’s speed cameras are dramatically changing driver behavior
Last week, Walk SF and San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets joined District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, the SFMTA, community partners, and advocates to celebrate the one-year anniversary of San Francisco’s speed camera program.
There was a lot to celebrate! San Francisco’s speed cameras are proving an incredible success: changing driver behavior and effectively tackling the #1 cause of crashes in our city. San Francisco is also the first city in California to pilot speed cameras, serving as the leader in embracing this technology to improve traffic safety.
According to data from the SFMTA, the share of drivers speeding 10 MPH or more is down nearly 80% across camera locations. By fall and winter, just 2% of drivers were traveling 10 MPH or more over the speed limit.
We hosted the celebration in the SOMA neighborhood, where every single street is designated as high-injury due to the frequency of traffic crashes. Dangerous speeding is a huge issue in SOMA because of its many wide, one-way streets and freeway entrances and exits. It’s great that 7 of the city’s 33 speed camera locations are in SOMA, and we gathered at one of these – 4th and Harrison – where the number of drivers going more than 10 MPH over the speed limit is down 75%.
Rudy Corpuz, executive director of violence prevention organization United Playaz, says people in the neighborhood are feeling the difference. “Speed cameras are a game changer,” said Rudy at the celebration. “Speed cameras are helping make our streets what they should be: safe for everyone, but especially for our kids, youth, and seniors.” Watch this powerful video of Rudy about why speed cameras are so important.
Families for Safe Streets member and crash survivor Lori Lai also bravely shared her story and perspective on speed cameras. “When I see a speed camera, I see lives saved and tragedies averted. I know other Families for Safe Streets members feel the same,” said Lori.
Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who’s been a champion for speed cameras going back to our campaign to pass AB 645, also stated his strong support for a bigger – and permanent – program at the celebration. Hooray!
We’re all-in for winning more speed cameras
Our sentiments exactly.
Walk SF is already exploring what it will take to not only make San Francisco’s pilot speed camera program permanent, but expand it to address the scale of the problem. Speed camera data itself has shown how prevalent dangerous speeding has become.
The SFMTA’s speed surveys before determining camera locations gave a window into how many drivers are going way too fast on our streets, and we’re all feeling this.
It took eight years to pass AB 645, and we need things to move a whole lot faster this time around. Driver behaviors unleashed during the pandemic and the acceleration power of newer vehicles has made the threat of dangerous speeding even greater, and we need to be able to respond to this.
If you love speed cameras and want more, please support Walk SF today! Passing state legislation takes a lot of resources and you can help us have what’s needed to go all in on speed cameras.
Read more in the news:
- 1 year in, advocates launch campaign to expand SF’s speed camera program (KQED)
- San Francisco reports drop in speeding one year after cameras installed (NBC Bay Area)
- Most severe accidents occur on 13% of San Francisco streets: data (KTVU FOX 2)
- Cameras led to nearly 80% drop in speeding, SFMTA says (San Francisco Examiner)
- SF leaders push to scale speed cameras after 80% drop in speeding (Axios San Francisco)
Banner Image: Fiona Yim
