Re: AB 645 request for signature
Dear Governor Newsom,
We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to request your signature of AB 645, enabling a speed safety camera pilot program in California.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, speeding accounts for nearly a third of all traffic fatalities. In 2021, over 42 thousand Americans lost their lives to traffic violence. In this same year, 4,258 Californians lost their lives to traffic collisions. Unsafe speeds caused a majority of these fatalities.
The chances of survival in a car crash decrease exponentially the faster the vehicle travels, especially for vulnerable road users. A person struck by a vehicle traveling at 20 mph has a 10% chance of dying. That number increases up to 40% for vehicles going 30 mph and 80% for vehicles going 40 mph. The safety system pilot program is needed to improve the safety of our roads and save lives. As demonstrated in 150 U.S. cities, automated speed cameras are a proven tool in reducing drivers’ speed, thus improving safety. Staten Island, NY, reported a 70% decrease in traffic deaths and injuries in locations where speed cameras are present. In Portland, OR, traffic fatalities declined by 46%, and speeding by 10 mph or more decreased by 85% after implementing an automated speed safety program. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on average, fixed speed cameras reduce injury crashes by 20% to 25%, and mobile speed cameras reduce injury collisions by 21% to 51%.
AB 645 was designed with equity in mind. Traffic violence disproportionately impacts low-income residents and communities of color. AB 645 has significantly lower fines starting at $50 for going 11-15 miles per hour over the speed limit. This fee is significantly lower than the current price of a speeding ticket in California which can cost up to $490. In addition, AB 645 requires that cities reduce fines for those under the poverty line by 80% or offer a community service alternative. For individuals 250% above the federal poverty line, cities must reduce fines by 50%.
AB 645 requires that cities use subsequent revenue towards engineering safer streets. After paying to administer the program, cities must spend the money on infrastructure to promote biking, walking, and slowing cars down. Potential infrastructure changes may include bicycle lanes, median islands, roundabouts, speed humps, etc. Further, AB 645 prohibits cities from shifting existing expenditures on traffic calming measures to backfill the revenue generated into their budget.
AB 645 limits the number of cameras used by each city, and it places performance metrics on cameras to ensure the program's success. If the safety system pilot program has not reduced violations by at least 25%, or second violations by 50%, after 18 months of use, the city is required to start planning the construction of traffic calming or bike/pedestrian infrastructure in areas where the cameras are installed. If cities do not start this construction in two years, the cameras can no longer be used at the location.
Slowing drivers down is imperative for reducing traffic deaths and injuries. In a perfect world, all our streets would be redesigned to encourage much slower speeds by narrowing lanes, installing traffic calming, and other queues to maintain safe speeds. But these reforms will take decades to implement. We cannot accept thousands of traffic deaths and injuries – disproportionately impacting low-income people of color – while we retrofit our roadway infrastructure. AB 645 proposes a balanced approach to help California significantly reduce the 4,258 traffic fatalities, reduce injuries, and improve the safety of our roads for all Californians. For these reasons, we offer our support of AB 645 and request your support as well.
