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Does it feel like everybody speeds these days? Depending on where you live, that observation may be accurate. A speed camera pilot program set to be implemented in Malibu this fall has been delayed after a 10-day trial conducted in September resulted in approximately 100,000 recorded speeding infractions. Look, we’re not saying speed limits are meaningless, buuuuuut…
According to KTLA, Malibu officials released a statement saying that the city has delayed a warning period that was scheduled to begin after the trial concluded so that it can study existing traffic patterns in certain parts of the city (Carbon Canyon and Tuna Canyon), where apparently just about everybody is ignoring the speed limit.
Fortunately for local drivers, those violations aren’t “real” yet. The cameras are operating and violators may see flashes when they pass, but nobody has been charged with any speed infractions.
“The cameras are not currently issuing warnings or citations, accessing driver information from the DMV, or taking enforcement action,” the city stated in the release.
Once the system comes online, violators will be tagged for speeds of 11 mph over the limit or higher, and subjected to graduated penalties:
- 11 to 15 mph over the limit: $50
- 16 to 25 mph over the limit: $100
- 26 mph or more over the limit: $200
- 100 mph or more over the limit: $500
“No license points or insurance penalties will apply. It will only record when a speed violation is detected, and strong privacy protections apply,” a city newsletter said in September. “All funds generated will only go toward the costs of the system, and toward PCH safety activity. The City will regularly report program performance and data to the Public Safety Commission and public.”
Malibu’s 100,000 trial infractions were recorded by just four cameras, city officials said. Most of the violators were driving in eastern Malibu. The city is long and narrow, stretching east/west along Pacific Coast Highway, which is the primary target of the city’s speed camera enforcement efforts.
“The City will continue to evaluate this information as it completes the necessary installation changes and traffic studies, with the goal of ensuring that the program is implemented thoughtfully and in support of public safety,” the city told KTLA.
And while Malibu’s project is using dedicated cameras designed specifically for traffic enforcement, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take this opportunity to remind you that any license plate camera that can record a timestamp is potentially a speed camera if the authorities decide to use it that way; just ask the UK. Think you live too far from civilization for it to matter? You might want to think again.
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Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
