Slow down: Oakland kicks off speed camera program
FILE ART- (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland is launching its speed safety camera program on Friday, beginning with warnings for drivers who exceed the speed limit.
By the numbers:
Cameras have been installed on 18 streets across the city and have officially started issuing warnings. Actual citations will be issued starting in mid-March.
Ticket amounts will range from $50 to $500, depending on how fast a driver is recorded traveling. The program includes a discounted rate for low-income drivers and an option to complete community service instead of paying fines. Drivers have about 60 days before citations are issued.
Oakland is one of six cities participating in a five-year pilot program. Crash data was used to select camera locations, which are spread throughout the city. In some locations, more than 10,000 cars per day were recorded traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit.
Officials say automated speed enforcement has proven highly effective at preventing traffic deaths and injuries nationwide.
Why you should care:
In Oakland, two people are killed or seriously injured by traffic violence each week, according to a city news release. City leaders say those crashes disproportionately impact people of color, seniors, children and people with disabilities.
Big picture view:
San Francisco installed similar cameras last year, and city leaders there say speeding at the worst intersections dropped by 70% during the program’s first six months.