Today marks the launch of San Francisco's foray into the realm of automated speed enforcement as the city brings into operation its very first batch of speed cameras. With 33 cameras installed across the city, KRON4 reports that 12 have begun their watchful patrol today. Styled after toll cameras, these devices meticulously capture the license plates of speeding drivers, specifically targeting those who exceed the speed limit by 11 mph or more.
The fines, which vary from $50 to $500 based on the velocity excess, should not be taken lightly. Included in this new enforcement strategy is a provision for lower fines for qualifying low-income individuals. However, in its benevolence, the city has extended a grace period of 60 days before these fines take effect, ostensibly giving a gentle nudge to the community towards safer driving habits. KRON4 mentions that the goal behind these cameras is quite clear: to curb the worrying spike in pedestrian fatalities and severe injuries, with an alarming 42 pedestrian deaths recorded last year.
Support for the initiative is robust among safety advocacy groups. "It’s going to change behavior hopefully beyond just where the cameras are, and that’s what we really need," Marta Lindsey of Walk SF told KRON4, stressing the need for citywide behavioral change. Meanwhile, Mo Akbar, a local who has navigated the streets as both a cyclist and pedestrian, shared with KTVU his mixed sentiments: relief at the measure's conception but skepticism about its ability to alter ingrained driving behaviors.
Observers of the program are keen to emphasize that the tickets issued by these cameras are civil penalties, meaning no points will be added to the recipient's driver's license. During the five-year pilot, those caught by the camera's gaze will receive their tickets in the mail within two weeks of the recorded infraction. And while the initial 60 days will serve only as a warning period, the intent is clear: slow down or pay up. As noted by residents near one of these cameras, the knowledge of its presence alone may kindle a new mindfulness about their driving speed, which Karol Svoboda, a San Francisco resident active on foot and by bike, hopes will make for a safer city, KTVU observed.
