Speed Cameras
Lifesaving speed cameras are now on San Francisco streets
On March 20, 2025, San Francisco became the first city in California to start using speed cameras.
Speed cameras are a proven technology that save lives by changing driver behavior.
Walk SF and traffic victims worked for eight years to pass a state law making speed cameras legal in California. In 2023, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 645 allowing San Francisco and five other California cities to pilot speed cameras.
We are thrilled this solution will finally be used to address the #1 cause of severe and fatal crashes in San Francisco and California: speeding. Speed cameras are being installed at 33 locations in San Francisco on streets with high crash rates and high levels of dangerous speeding.
Why we advocated for speed cameras in San Francisco
When it comes to how safe our streets are, much of it comes down to how fast drivers are going. Read why speed matters so much.
In 2024, 42 people were killed in traffic crashes in San Francisco, the highest number since 2007. More than 500 were severely injured in traffic crashes. Dangerous speeding is the leading cause of these crashes.
San Francisco needs every possible solution to address dangerous speeding – including speed cameras. Speed cameras dramatically shift behavior and can reduce the number of severe and fatal crashes by as much as 58%. In New York City, the speed camera program has resulted in a 94% reduction in speeding at speed camera locations since the program began.
That’s why speed camera legislation was a policy priority for Walk SF for nearly a decade. Throughout the years, members of San Francisco Bay Area Families for Safe Streets bravely shared their personal stories countless times with lawmakers and the media on the true toll of dangerous speeding. We’re proud and grateful for their contributions to this historic win.
Take action for safe speeds on all streets
Dangerous speeding threatens our lives and hurts our communities. But speed cameras can be the start of a new era for San Francisco.
We can make our city a place where:
- Driver norms are to go slow because that’s part of our San Francisco values.
- Streets are designed so that drivers are discouraged from speeding in every way possible, whether that’s with speed humps, lower speed limits, turn calming, timed traffic lights, or narrower street widths (or all of the above).
The launch of speed cameras in San Francisco is as a chance to shift driver behavior not just where there are speed cameras, but citywide. But only if our leaders take key actions.
We’re pushing for speed solutions to be at the heart of the City’s new Vision Zero policy and plan. We want the City to dramatically scale up using street design changes that keep drivers going safe speeds, like turn calming, lane reductions, lower speed limits, speed humps, and more.
We’re also building a San Francisco-grown movement of community values around safe speeds that engages neighborhoods, schools, and more.
About San Francisco’s speed camera program
San Francisco is the first city in California to launch speed cameras. Speed cameras are being installed at 33 locations; here is Walk SF’s take on these locations.
Speed cameras will be piloted for a five-year period on streets with the highest crash rates. Once placed, speed cameras are assessed after 18 months and must be moved if they aren’t effective in one of three ways: 1) reducing the 85th percentile speed of vehicles compared to pre-camera data collected; 2) 20% reduction in drivers going faster than 10 MPH above the posted speed limit compared to pre-camera data collected; and 3) a 20% in the number of violators who received two or more violations at the location since the speed cameras became operational.
Citations are issued starting for speeds 11MPH above the speed limit starting at $50. Learn more about San Francisco’s speed camera program.
About AB 645, the state speed camera law
Assembly Bill 645, signed into law on October 13, 2023, allows San Francisco (plus Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, Glendale, and Long Beach) to pilot the use of a limited number of speed cameras only on streets with the highest crash rates (designated “high-injury” streets), or in school zones, or on a street with documented speed racing.
On February 9, 2023, Assemblymembers Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) and Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) introduced Assembly Bill 645 (AB 645). Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-District 65 in Southern California) became a co-author and champion (read the story of how this happened). Walk San Francisco was a sponsor of AB 645.
AB 645 was a thoughtfully-written bill with strong privacy protections and equity considerations. The bill protects privacy by banning any facial recognition – only license plate data are collected, and the data must be expunged after a citation is issued.
Speed camera violations have no criminal penalties and don’t add points against a driver’s license at the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Citations start at just $50.
Cities are required to to reduce fines for those under the poverty line by 80% or offer community service, and reduce fines by 50% for individuals 200% above the poverty level.