Pacific Coast Highway Speed Cameras
Speed Cameras on the PCH | When Tickets Start & Where Cameras Are Located
Speed cameras are coming to Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu—and drivers could begin receiving actual speeding citations before the end of 2026.
The City of Malibu has begun its public-information campaign for a new automated speed-camera program along Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). The cameras will identify vehicles traveling at least 11 miles per hour above the posted speed limit and use rear license-plate images to issue civil violations to registered vehicle owners.
The timing is important.
Malibu’s public education campaign began in August 2026 and is expected to continue through the end of September. A 60-day warning period is scheduled to follow, with full citation enforcement expected to begin in late November 2026.
For drivers throughout Southern California, however, Malibu is only the beginning of a much larger story.
Los Angeles is preparing 125 speed-camera locations, Long Beach is implementing its own automated speed-enforcement program, and the expansion is raising an obvious question for drivers farther south:
Could speed cameras eventually come to Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach or other Orange County communities?
Before looking at where automated enforcement may expand next, here’s what drivers need to know about the new Malibu PCH cameras.
Injured in an Accident on PCH?
If you were injured in a car, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian or other accident on Pacific Coast Highway, the Law Office of Jasminder Gill can help you understand your legal options.
Call 949-416-9080 for a free consultation
With 15+ years of experience, attorney Jasminder Gill represents accident victims throughout Southern California and handles cases involving speeding, negligent driving and serious injuries.
When Do Malibu Speed Cameras Start in 2026?
Malibu is rolling out its automated speed-enforcement program in stages rather than immediately issuing tickets.
The City began its public information and education campaign in August 2026.
During this initial phase, Malibu is informing residents and motorists about:
- Where the cameras are located
- How automated enforcement works
- When the cameras will become operational
- What speeds trigger enforcement
- How much violations can cost
- The safety goals behind the program
The public education phase is expected to continue through the end of September 2026.
After that, Malibu plans to begin a 60-day warning period.
During the warning period, motorists who trigger the cameras will receive warnings rather than civil penalties.
Full citation enforcement is currently expected to begin in late November 2026.
That means drivers who regularly travel PCH through Malibu should become familiar with the program now.
Why Is Malibu Installing Speed Cameras on Pacific Coast Highway?
The new cameras follow years of concerns about serious and fatal collisions along Malibu’s approximately 21-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.
PCH carries an unusual mixture of vehicles and road users.
Commuters, tourists, motorcycles, bicyclists and pedestrians all share a roadway that also contains businesses, residences, driveways, intersections and beach access.
Excessive speed can make those conditions particularly dangerous.
According to Malibu’s Speed Safety System Impact Report, 672 crashes occurred in Malibu between 2019 and 2023, and 546 of those crashes occurred on PCH.
That means PCH accounted for approximately 81% of Malibu’s reported collision volume during that period.
The City also identified 64 fatal or severe-injury collisions within one mile of the five proposed speed-camera locations.
More than 20% of collisions in those areas were attributed to speeding.
The Pepperdine PCH Crash Increased Calls for Change
Concerns about speeding on PCH intensified following the tragic October 17, 2023 crash that killed four Pepperdine University students.
The collision brought statewide attention to safety conditions along Malibu’s stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.
The following month, the Malibu City Council declared a local emergency concerning dangerous, illegal, reckless and distracted driving on PCH.
California lawmakers subsequently approved Senate Bill 1297 (SB 1297).
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation in September 2024, specifically authorizing Malibu to establish a speed safety system pilot program along Pacific Coast Highway.
The law allows Malibu to operate up to five speed safety systems on PCH.
Where Are the Malibu Speed Cameras Located?
Malibu has identified five locations along Pacific Coast Highway for automated speed enforcement:
- Decker Canyon Road / PCH
- Morning View Drive / PCH
- Latigo Canyon Road / PCH
- Carbon Canyon Road / PCH
- Tuna Canyon Road / PCH
The systems are intended to monitor traffic traveling through areas selected because of concerns involving speeding, collisions and roadway safety.
Drivers may also see references to 10 cameras.
That does not mean Malibu has been authorized to operate 10 separate speed-safety systems.
California law authorizes up to five speed safety systems, while Malibu’s equipment configuration can provide coverage for traffic traveling in both directions at those five locations.
How Do Malibu Speed Cameras Work?
The automated systems use radar, laser or other approved electronic technology to detect vehicles traveling above the enforcement threshold.
When the system identifies a qualifying violation, it captures an image of the vehicle’s rear license plate along with information associated with the alleged violation.
The registered owner of the vehicle can then receive a notice.
The cameras are not supposed to operate as general surveillance cameras photographing everyone who travels along PCH.
California’s law establishes restrictions concerning the information collected by the systems and how that information may be used.
How Fast Do You Have to Drive to Get a Malibu Speed-Camera Ticket?
One of the biggest questions drivers have is whether Malibu’s cameras will issue a citation for traveling only a few miles per hour above the posted speed limit.
They will not.
Under SB 1297, the automated system captures violations involving vehicles traveling 11 mph or more above the posted speed limit.
For example:
If the posted speed limit is 35 mph, the automated enforcement threshold begins at 46 mph.
If the posted speed limit is 45 mph, the automated enforcement threshold begins at 56 mph.
That does not mean driving 10 mph above the posted speed limit is legal.
It means Malibu’s automated camera system begins enforcement at 11 mph above the posted limit.
How Much Is a Malibu Speed-Camera Ticket?
The civil penalties become more expensive as the driver’s speed increases.
11–15 mph over the posted speed limit
$50
16–25 mph over the posted speed limit
$100
26 mph or more over the posted speed limit
$200
Driving 100 mph or faster
$500
These are civil penalties issued through Malibu’s automated enforcement program.
They are different from conventional speeding citations issued by a law-enforcement officer following a traffic stop.
Will a Malibu Speed-Camera Ticket Put a Point on Your License?
No.
Under SB 1297, an automated speed-camera violation is subject to a civil penalty.
It does not result in a DMV violation point being added to the driver’s record.
The automated violation also cannot, by itself, cause the California DMV to suspend or revoke a person’s driving privilege.
That distinction is important because the consequences can differ from those associated with a traditional speeding citation issued by law enforcement.
Will Drivers Be Warned About Malibu Speed Cameras?
Yes.
California law specifically requires Malibu to clearly identify the presence of automated speed enforcement.
Before reaching an enforcement system, drivers must be provided with “Photo Enforced” signage along with speed-limit signs, flashing beacons and speed-feedback signs.
These warnings must generally be positioned no more than 500 feet before the speed safety system and be visible to traffic traveling in the direction being monitored.
The goal is not supposed to be to secretly photograph speeding motorists.
The warning signs are intended to encourage drivers to reduce their speed before reaching the enforcement location.
How Quickly Will a Malibu Speed-Camera Ticket Arrive?
Once full citation enforcement begins, California law requires a written notice of violation to be issued to the registered owner within 15 calendar days of the violation.
The notice must provide information concerning the alleged violation, including:
- The vehicle’s alleged speed
- The posted speed limit
- The date and approximate time
- The location
- The vehicle’s license-plate number
- Information concerning the speed safety system
- Instructions for paying or contesting the violation
Because the cameras rely on license-plate information, the notice is generally issued to the vehicle’s registered owner.
Can You Fight a Malibu Speed-Camera Ticket?
Yes.
Receiving an automated violation does not eliminate a registered owner’s ability to challenge it.
California’s Malibu speed-camera law establishes procedures for administrative review and hearings.
The equipment is also subject to inspection and calibration requirements.
Malibu’s speed safety systems must be inspected at least once every 60 days, and each camera unit must be calibrated according to manufacturer requirements and at least annually by an independent calibration laboratory.
These requirements are intended to help ensure citations are based on properly functioning equipment.
Are Malibu Speed Cameras the Same as Red-Light Cameras?
No.
Although both use automated technology, the systems enforce different traffic violations.
A red-light camera is designed to document certain violations involving a traffic signal.
A speed camera measures how fast a vehicle is traveling and determines whether the vehicle has reached the threshold for automated speed enforcement.
Drivers also should not assume every camera they see along a roadway is issuing tickets.
Government agencies use cameras for numerous purposes, including traffic monitoring and congestion management.
Why Malibu’s PCH Speed Cameras Matter Beyond Malibu
The Malibu rollout is significant because it represents more than five enforcement locations on one famous highway.
It is part of a broader shift toward automated speed enforcement in California.
Malibu required its own state legislation because its program involves Pacific Coast Highway.
But another California law—Assembly Bill 645 (AB 645)—has authorized automated speed-enforcement pilot programs in several other cities.
And one of those cities is about to implement a program dramatically larger than Malibu’s.
The City of Los Angeles is preparing 125 speed safety systems throughout Los Angeles.
Los Angeles transportation officials say the cameras will target streets where speeding and speed-related crashes occur frequently, along with locations near schools, senior centers and other areas with vulnerable road users.
And the expansion does not end there.
Long Beach is also implementing automated speed enforcement, bringing the technology even closer to Orange County.
That creates a clear geographic progression:
Malibu → Los Angeles → Long Beach → Orange County.
And it raises a question that Southern California drivers may increasingly be asking:
Are speed cameras becoming the new normal—and could Orange County be next?
What Comes Next for Southern California Drivers?
Malibu’s speed-camera rollout is happening now.
The City’s education campaign is underway, warnings are expected to follow, and actual citations are currently scheduled to begin in late November 2026.
But Malibu is only the first part of the story.
With 125 speed-camera locations planned in Los Angeles and another automated enforcement program moving forward in Long Beach, speed cameras are spreading across Southern California.
For drivers in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Santa Ana and elsewhere in Orange County, understanding what is happening to the north may offer an important glimpse at what automated traffic enforcement could eventually look like closer to home.
Los Angeles Is Bringing Speed Cameras to 125 Locations
Malibu’s new PCH speed cameras are only one part of Southern California’s move toward automated speed enforcement.
Just south and east of Malibu, the City of Los Angeles is preparing a much larger rollout: 125 automated speed safety systems throughout the city.
The Los Angeles program was authorized under California’s Assembly Bill 645 (AB 645), which allows several designated California cities to test automated speed enforcement as part of a pilot program.
For Southern California drivers, the scale of the Los Angeles program is significant.
Malibu’s program focuses on five high-risk areas along Pacific Coast Highway. Los Angeles plans automated enforcement at 125 locations across all 15 City Council districts.
And you do not have to live in Los Angeles to be affected.
Drivers traveling from Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana or elsewhere in Orange County can receive an automated violation if they speed through an active Los Angeles enforcement location.
Why Is Los Angeles Installing Speed Cameras?
The goal of the Los Angeles Speed Safety System program is to reduce dangerous speeding and serious traffic collisions.
Los Angeles transportation officials have identified speed as a major factor in roadway deaths and severe crashes.
LADOT reports that approximately 300 people are killed in traffic crashes in Los Angeles each year, with thousands more suffering serious injuries.
The City is therefore targeting automated enforcement toward streets where speeding and serious crashes present significant safety concerns.
Rather than placing cameras randomly throughout Los Angeles, officials evaluated collision history, speeding and the presence of vulnerable road users when selecting locations.
Where Will the 125 Los Angeles Speed Cameras Be Located?
Los Angeles selected 125 roadway segments throughout its 15 City Council districts for the automated Speed Safety System pilot.
The cameras will primarily target areas with documented traffic-safety concerns.
Factors considered in selecting locations include:
- Speeding
- Speed-related collisions
- Serious and fatal crashes
- Priority Safety Corridors
- Schools
- Senior centers
- Areas with vulnerable road users
- Street-racing concerns
- Community traffic-safety concerns
LADOT is making the selected locations publicly available, allowing motorists to determine where automated enforcement is planned.
The selected locations are not necessarily single intersections. Some enforcement areas cover roadway segments where speeding has been identified as a significant concern.
When Will Los Angeles Speed Cameras Start Issuing Tickets?
Los Angeles is implementing the program in stages.
The first systems are planned to begin operating in 2026, but California law requires a warning period before full civil penalties begin.
For the first 60 calendar days of enforcement, motorists who trigger the automated systems receive warning notices rather than civil penalties.
This gives drivers an opportunity to become familiar with the program before actual fines begin.
Drivers should watch for LADOT announcements and “Photo Enforced” signs as individual systems become active.
How Fast Do You Have to Drive to Get an LA Speed-Camera Ticket?
Like Malibu, Los Angeles’s automated enforcement threshold does not begin simply because a vehicle travels one or two miles per hour above the posted limit.
Under AB 645, an automated violation begins when a vehicle is traveling 11 mph or more above the posted speed limit.
For example:
If the posted speed limit is 35 mph, the automated enforcement threshold begins at 46 mph.
If the posted speed limit is 45 mph, the threshold begins at 56 mph.
That does not mean traveling 10 mph above the speed limit is legal.
It means the automated Speed Safety System begins issuing violations at 11 mph above the posted limit.
How Much Are Los Angeles Speed-Camera Tickets?
California’s AB 645 program establishes escalating civil penalties based on how far above the posted speed limit a vehicle is traveling.
11–15 mph over the speed limit
$50
16–25 mph over the speed limit
$100
26 mph or more over the speed limit
$200
Driving 100 mph or faster
$500
California law also provides an additional warning protection for lower-level first violations.
A vehicle’s first violation within the jurisdiction for traveling 11 to 15 mph over the posted speed limit results in a warning notice rather than the $50 civil penalty.
Will an LA Speed-Camera Ticket Put a Point on Your License?
No.
Violations issued through the automated speed-enforcement program are civil violations.
An automated violation does not add a DMV violation point to the driver’s California driving record.
It also cannot, by itself, cause the California DMV to suspend or revoke someone’s driving privilege.
This makes an automated speed-camera violation different from a conventional speeding ticket issued by a law-enforcement officer following a traffic stop.
Will Los Angeles Drivers Know Where the Cameras Are?
Yes.
The Los Angeles program is not designed around hidden cameras.
California law requires appropriate signage notifying motorists that automated enforcement is being used.
Drivers approaching active enforcement locations should see “Photo Enforced” signage.
Los Angeles is also required to make information about the locations of its speed safety systems publicly available.
The purpose is to encourage drivers to reduce their speed before reaching dangerous roadway areas—not simply to maximize the number of citations issued.
How Do Los Angeles Speed Cameras Work?
The automated systems use technology capable of detecting a vehicle’s speed without requiring a police officer to conduct a traffic stop.
When a vehicle reaches the enforcement threshold, the system can document information associated with the violation, including the vehicle’s rear license plate.
A notice can then be issued to the registered owner.
The systems are not intended to photograph drivers’ faces to determine who was behind the wheel.
California also imposes privacy restrictions on how information collected by automated speed-enforcement systems can be used, shared and retained.
Who Gets the Ticket if Someone Else Is Driving Your Car?
Because the automated system relies primarily on the vehicle’s license plate, the notice is generally issued to the registered owner of the vehicle.
This is different from a conventional traffic stop, where a law-enforcement officer identifies the person who was actually driving.
California law establishes procedures for reviewing and contesting automated violations, including circumstances in which the registered owner believes the citation should not have been issued.
Can You Fight a Los Angeles Speed-Camera Ticket?
Yes.
Receiving an automated citation does not mean the violation cannot be challenged.
California law provides procedures for requesting review of an automated citation and, when appropriate, an administrative hearing.
The notice should contain information concerning the alleged violation as well as instructions explaining how to contest it.
The automated equipment is also subject to requirements involving operation, inspection and calibration.
Are Speed Cameras the Same as Red-Light Cameras?
No.
Although both rely on automated technology, they enforce different traffic laws.
A red-light camera is designed to document certain violations involving traffic signals.
A speed camera measures how fast a vehicle is traveling and determines whether the vehicle has exceeded the automated enforcement threshold.
Drivers also should not assume that every camera mounted near a Los Angeles roadway is issuing citations.
Cities use cameras for many purposes, including traffic monitoring, congestion management and transportation operations.
Can Los Angeles Put Speed Cameras on the 405, 5 or 10 Freeways?
No—not under the current AB 645 program.
California law limits where AB 645 Speed Safety Systems can operate.
The program does not authorize automated speed enforcement on:
- California state routes
- Freeways
- Expressways
- U.S. highways
- Interstate highways
That means Los Angeles cannot simply use its AB 645 authority to install speed cameras along the 405, 5, 10 or other freeways.
This restriction also helps explain why Malibu’s PCH program required its own California law.
Why Can Malibu Have Speed Cameras on PCH?
Malibu and Los Angeles are operating under different state laws.
Los Angeles is participating under AB 645, which created a broader automated speed-enforcement pilot for several California jurisdictions.
Malibu’s program was separately authorized by SB 1297, legislation specifically addressing automated speed enforcement along Pacific Coast Highway within Malibu.
That distinction matters because PCH is a California state route.
And it raises an interesting question as Pacific Coast Highway continues south into Orange County:
Could similar cameras eventually appear along PCH in Newport Beach or Huntington Beach?
Under current law, Malibu’s special authorization does not automatically extend to those communities.
Why Speed Matters Beyond a Camera Ticket
The attention surrounding speed cameras can make this sound primarily like a question about fines.
But the underlying issue is much more serious.
A driver traveling at excessive speed has less time to recognize and respond to a dangerous situation.
Speed can become especially dangerous when:
- Traffic suddenly stops
- A pedestrian enters a crosswalk
- A bicyclist enters the roadway
- A motorcycle changes lanes
- Another vehicle turns at an intersection
- A driver approaches stopped traffic too quickly
- Road conditions suddenly change
Higher vehicle speeds can also increase the severity of an impact.
That is why speed can become an important issue after a serious California car accident, regardless of whether the speeding driver received a ticket.
Could Speed-Camera Evidence Matter After a Car Accident?
The expansion of automated enforcement creates another important question:
If a serious accident happens near a speed camera, could information from that system help determine how fast a vehicle was traveling?
Potentially relevant evidence after a collision can come from many different sources.
Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may consider:
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Dash-camera footage
- Surveillance video
- Vehicle damage
- Tire or skid marks
- Accident-scene photographs
- Electronic vehicle information
- Event data recorder information
- Other available physical or electronic evidence
Whether information associated with a particular speed camera is available after a collision depends on what the system collected, whether the information was retained, applicable California law and the circumstances of the accident.
Some electronic evidence may only exist for a limited period.
For that reason, identifying potential evidence quickly can become particularly important after a serious collision.
Los Angeles Is Not the End of the Speed-Camera Expansion
The Southern California rollout does not stop in Los Angeles.
Long Beach is also implementing an automated Speed Safety System program under AB 645.
That development is especially relevant to Orange County drivers because Long Beach sits directly next to northern Orange County.
The City’s program is part of its broader effort to reduce speeding and severe traffic collisions.
For Orange County residents, the geography is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore:
Malibu has its PCH program.
Los Angeles is preparing 125 speed-camera locations.
Long Beach is implementing automated speed enforcement immediately next to Orange County.
And that brings the speed-camera discussion considerably closer to communities such as Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.
Could Speed Cameras Come to Orange County?
With automated speed enforcement moving forward in Malibu, Los Angeles and neighboring Long Beach, Orange County drivers may reasonably wonder whether speed cameras could be next for communities closer to home.
For now, the answer is clear:
Costa Mesa and other Orange County cities are not currently authorized to operate the AB 645 automated speed-camera pilot program.
California’s AB 645 currently authorizes automated speed-enforcement programs in:
- Los Angeles
- Long Beach
- Glendale
- San Jose
- Oakland
- San Francisco
That means Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Santa Ana and Anaheim are not currently part of the program.
But with Long Beach directly bordering Orange County, automated speed enforcement is now being implemented just outside the county.
Whether California eventually expands the program farther south will depend on what lawmakers decide in the future.
Does Orange County Have Speed Cameras in 2026?
Orange County cities do not currently operate the same AB 645 automated speed-enforcement pilot being implemented in Los Angeles and Long Beach.
That distinction is important because drivers may already see cameras and other electronic traffic equipment along Orange County roads.
Not every traffic camera is a speed camera.
Cities can use cameras and other electronic equipment for purposes such as:
- Monitoring traffic conditions
- Managing traffic signals
- Evaluating congestion
- Observing intersections
- Providing speed feedback to drivers
- Transportation planning and operations
For example, Costa Mesa uses traffic-management technology that includes CCTV cameras and electronic radar speed-feedback signs.
Those devices should not automatically be confused with automated speed cameras capable of issuing AB 645 civil citations.
Could California Expand Speed Cameras to Orange County?
Potentially.
The existing California program is a pilot, which gives state and local officials an opportunity to evaluate automated enforcement before deciding whether it should continue or expand.
Participating jurisdictions are required to collect and report information concerning their programs.
That will allow California to evaluate issues such as whether automated enforcement changes driver behavior, reduces excessive speeding and contributes to improved roadway safety.
If lawmakers ultimately decide the pilot programs are successful, California could consider expanding automated speed enforcement to additional jurisdictions.
That could potentially bring future discussions about speed cameras to Orange County.
However, Orange County cities cannot simply decide today to establish an AB 645 program on their own.
Additional state authorization would be required.
Could Costa Mesa Get Speed Cameras?
Under current California law, Costa Mesa is not authorized to operate an AB 645 automated speed-camera program.
That could change only if California expands the program or adopts separate legislation allowing Costa Mesa or additional jurisdictions to participate.
Whether Costa Mesa would actually want automated enforcement if it became legally available would be a separate local policy decision.
But the traffic-safety issue that speed cameras are designed to address already exists in Costa Mesa.
The City’s own collision data show that excessive speed is contributing to local crashes.
Speeding Is Already a Serious Problem in Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa’s traffic-safety information provides important local context.
According to City data, 276 crashes caused by speeding occurred in Costa Mesa in 2023, including three fatalities.
The City has also reported that speed was the primary crash factor in an average of approximately 10 injury collisions per month.
Costa Mesa’s Local Road Safety Plan previously identified unsafe speed as the leading recorded cause of collisions during the study period, accounting for approximately 20% of collisions.
Those numbers demonstrate why the speed-camera discussion is relevant to Orange County even though automated enforcement has not arrived here.
The underlying problem—dangerous speeding—is already present.
Costa Mesa Has Already Lowered Speed Limits on Many Streets
Automated cameras are not the only way cities can address excessive speed.
Costa Mesa has already taken other steps.
As part of an updated Engineering and Traffic Survey, the City evaluated 137 roadway segments throughout Costa Mesa.
Reduced speed limits were recommended on 76 roadway segments.
California law has given local governments additional flexibility to lower speed limits in certain circumstances, including designated safety corridors and areas with concentrations of pedestrians and bicyclists.
These changes reflect the broader emphasis California cities are placing on reducing vehicle speeds and preventing serious traffic injuries.
Where Can Speeding Accidents Happen in Costa Mesa?
Speed-related collisions can occur anywhere, but Costa Mesa contains several major roads carrying substantial amounts of daily traffic.
These include:
- Harbor Boulevard
- Newport Boulevard
- Bristol Street
- Fairview Road
- Adams Avenue
- Victoria Street
- Baker Street
- 17th Street
- 19th Street
- Sunflower Avenue
Costa Mesa is also located near major Southern California freeways, including the 55 and 405 freeways.
Busy arterial roads can combine relatively high traffic volumes with intersections, businesses, shopping centers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, buses and vehicles entering and exiting driveways.
When a driver is traveling too fast, there may be considerably less time to respond when traffic conditions suddenly change.
What About Speed Cameras on PCH in Newport Beach or Huntington Beach?
Malibu’s program raises a particularly interesting question for coastal Orange County.
Pacific Coast Highway does not end in Malibu.
PCH continues through Orange County communities including Newport Beach and Huntington Beach.
Could the Malibu speed cameras eventually extend south?
Not under Malibu’s existing authorization.
Malibu operates under SB 1297, which specifically authorizes its speed-safety pilot along Pacific Coast Highway within Malibu.
Meanwhile, AB 645 contains restrictions preventing participating jurisdictions from using its speed-safety systems on California state routes, freeways, expressways, U.S. highways and interstate highways.
Because PCH is a state route, simply adding an Orange County city to the existing AB 645 program would not necessarily authorize Malibu-style enforcement along PCH.
Additional or different state authorization could be required.
So drivers should not interpret Malibu’s new cameras as evidence that PCH cameras are currently coming to Newport Beach or Huntington Beach.
They are not.
Why Speeding Is So Dangerous in Orange County Accidents
The attention surrounding speed cameras can make the issue sound primarily like a debate about traffic tickets.
For people injured in motor vehicle accidents, the consequences can be much more serious.
A speeding driver may have:
- Less time to identify a hazard
- Less time to react
- Greater stopping distance
- Greater difficulty avoiding another vehicle
- Greater risk of losing control
- Greater impact forces when a collision occurs
Consider a driver approaching stopped traffic.
At a lower speed, that driver may have enough time to recognize the stopped vehicles, brake and avoid a collision.
At a significantly higher speed, those additional seconds and feet of stopping distance may disappear.
The result can be a serious rear-end collision.
Similar problems can arise when a driver approaches a pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcycle or vehicle turning through an intersection.
Does Speeding Make a Driver Automatically At Fault for an Accident?
Not automatically.
Evidence that a driver was speeding can be extremely important, but liability in a California personal injury case depends on how the entire accident occurred.
Investigators may consider issues such as:
- Vehicle speed
- Right of way
- Traffic signals
- Unsafe turns
- Following distance
- Distracted driving
- Visibility
- Road conditions
- Weather conditions
- Actions of the other drivers involved
For example, one driver might make an unsafe left turn while another vehicle approaches the intersection at an excessive speed.
Both actions could potentially contribute to causing the collision.
What Is California’s Basic Speed Law?
California’s rules concerning speed involve more than simply looking at the number posted on a speed-limit sign.
Under California’s Basic Speed Law, motorists generally may not drive at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent considering factors such as weather, visibility, traffic, and the surface and width of the roadway.
That means a driver may need to travel slower when conditions require it.
This can become important in a personal injury case because the question may not simply be:
Was the driver above the posted speed limit?
The question can also be:
Was the driver’s speed unsafe for the conditions that existed immediately before the collision?
How Do You Prove Another Driver Was Speeding?
A speeding driver does not have to receive a traffic citation for excessive speed to become relevant in a personal injury claim.
There may be several ways to investigate how fast a vehicle was traveling immediately before a collision.
Potential evidence can include:
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Dash-camera recordings
- Surveillance video
- Accident-scene photographs
- Tire or skid marks
- Vehicle damage
- Electronic vehicle information
- Event data recorder information
- Other physical or electronic evidence
The evidence available will depend on the individual collision.
That is one reason early investigation can be important after a serious accident.
Can a Car’s Electronic Data Show How Fast It Was Going?
Potentially.
Many modern vehicles contain electronic systems capable of recording certain information associated with a collision.
Depending on the vehicle and circumstances, an event data recorder or other system may contain information relating to vehicle speed, braking or other vehicle activity.
Whether particular information exists, can be recovered and can ultimately be used in a legal proceeding depends on the circumstances.
Preserving the vehicle may therefore become particularly important after a catastrophic or disputed collision where speed is a major issue.
Can Traffic or Surveillance Cameras Help Prove Speeding?
Potentially.
Even without AB 645 speed cameras, other video may be useful in determining how an accident happened.
Possible sources can include cameras belonging to:
- Businesses
- Shopping centers
- Gas stations
- Restaurants
- Parking facilities
- Homes
- Dash-camera users
- Government traffic-management systems
Video does not necessarily have to display a vehicle’s exact speed to be useful.
Depending on the circumstances, footage may help establish vehicle movements, timing, traffic-signal sequences or what happened immediately before impact.
But video can disappear quickly.
Many surveillance systems automatically overwrite older recordings.
Identifying potential video evidence as soon as possible after a serious collision can therefore be important.
Could Future Speed-Camera Data Become Evidence in an Orange County Accident?
If automated speed cameras eventually come to Orange County, they could raise some of the same evidence questions now emerging in Malibu and Los Angeles.
For example, if a collision occurs near a speed safety system, an injured person may wonder whether information from that system recorded a vehicle immediately before the crash.
Whether such information could actually be obtained or used would depend on numerous factors, including:
- What the system collected
- When the collision occurred
- Whether information was retained
- California privacy requirements
- Data-retention rules
- The circumstances of the particular accident
For now, Orange County does not operate the AB 645 program.
But the increasing use of automated enforcement elsewhere in Southern California illustrates why electronic evidence is becoming increasingly relevant to modern accident investigations.
What If Both Drivers Were Partially Responsible?
California follows a pure comparative negligence system.
That means responsibility for an accident can potentially be divided among multiple parties.
Suppose one driver makes an unsafe turn while another vehicle approaches at an excessive speed.
Determining fault may require evaluating both drivers’ actions.
An injured person’s compensation can generally be reduced according to that person’s percentage of responsibility, rather than automatically being eliminated because the person was partially at fault.
This makes accurately reconstructing the collision particularly important when the parties disagree about what happened.
What Injuries Can Speeding Accidents Cause?
High-speed motor vehicle collisions can cause serious or catastrophic injuries.
Depending on the circumstances, injuries may include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Broken bones
- Shoulder and knee injuries
- Internal injuries
- Nerve damage
- Facial injuries
- Permanent disability
Some accident injuries may not be immediately obvious at the scene.
People experiencing pain or other symptoms following a collision should consider obtaining appropriate medical evaluation.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Speeding Accident?
The compensation available after a California motor vehicle accident depends on the facts of the case and the injuries and losses involved.
Potential damages can include compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical care
- Lost income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Other accident-related losses
Cases involving catastrophic injuries may also involve substantial future medical needs and long-term financial consequences.
What Should You Do After an Accident With a Speeding Driver?
The first priority after a serious collision should be safety and appropriate medical care.
When circumstances allow, preserving evidence may also become important.
Potential steps can include:
- Photographing the vehicles
- Photographing the roadway and accident scene
- Identifying witnesses
- Preserving dash-camera recordings
- Identifying nearby surveillance cameras
- Keeping medical records and bills
- Preserving damaged vehicles when appropriate
- Obtaining the collision report when one is prepared
Accident victims should also be cautious about accepting an insurance settlement before understanding the extent of their injuries and potential future losses.
Malibu to Los Angeles to Long Beach: Could Orange County Be Next?
Southern California’s speed-camera landscape is changing quickly. Malibu is moving toward enforcement on PCH, Los Angeles is preparing 125 locations, and neighboring Long Beach is implementing its own pilot program.
Orange County is not currently included, but the expansion highlights a larger issue already affecting local drivers: excessive speed. Costa Mesa’s own collision data show that speeding is contributing to local injuries and fatalities.
While the cameras may be new, the danger posed by excessive speed is not.
Injured by a Speeding Driver in Costa Mesa or Orange County?
If another driver’s excessive speed or negligent driving caused your accident, you may have the right to pursue compensation under California law.
The Law Office of Jasminder Gill represents people injured in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and other motor vehicle collisions.
With 15+ years of experience, attorney Jasminder Gill represents accident victims in Costa Mesa, Orange County and throughout Southern California.
Our firm works to investigate how collisions occurred, identify and preserve available evidence, deal with insurance companies and pursue compensation available under California law.
If you were injured by a speeding or negligent driver in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Santa Ana or elsewhere in Orange County, contact the Law Office of Jasminder Gill for a free consultation.