The challenges of driving through Los Angeles streets are well known.
There are the seemingly increasing number of potholes that take a fair amount of time to remedy, the battle involving bike lane installation and, depending on the time of day, the chance of a vehicle maybe even getting caught up in a street takeover.
Another remedy or obstacle, depending on your viewpoint, is coming to the city in the form of speed cameras.
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My colleague Karen Garcia chronicled the discussion about their use, when they will be installed, how they will be enforced and what infractions you might face.
Let’s take a look at some of her reporting.
Lights, camera, tickets
Late last month, L.A. city leaders approved the installation of 125 cameras throughout the city’s 15 districts, from the San Fernando Valley to San Pedro.
Installation is taking place from now until July.
The move is part of a five-year pilot program authorized by a 2023 bill designed to combat speeding and an alarming rise in traffic deaths.
The argument for the speed cameras
Traffic fatalities in Los Angeles declined from 2024 to 2025, but the number of deaths from accidents remains persistently high, according to a recent report by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.
Speed accounts for nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities, according to officials.
Roadway speed cameras have been proven to reduce speeding by 31% to 82% and fatal crashes by 53% to 71%, according to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.
The statewide pilot program includes the cities of Los Angeles, San José, Oakland, Glendale, Long Beach and San Francisco.
Where are the cameras being installed?
Garcia put together a comprehensive list of affected streets that can be found in her article.
The cameras will be dotted throughout all the districts, from Glassell Park and Chinatown, through South Los Angeles, Koreatown, Playa Vista, Chatsworth and Lincoln Heights.
What are the fines and how do they work?
Once the cameras are operational, drivers will have a 60-day grace period before they’re fined for going 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit.
The cameras capture the speeding vehicle’s license plate, and the license plate data is used to identify the registered vehicle’s owner on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Violators will receive a notice of violation in the mail within 15 days.
The violation is similar to a parking ticket; it doesn’t count as points against the driver’s license.
If a driver other than the registered vehicle owner goes over the speed limit, the registered owner of the vehicle must foot the bill.
The penalty for violating the speed limit depends on how fast the driver is going.
The fines are:
$50 for driving 11 to 15 mph over the speed limit.$100 for driving 16 to 25 mph over the speed limit.$200 for driving 26 mph or more over the speed limit.$500 for driving 100 mph over the speed limit. (Yes, this is correct.)Payment plans and contest process
The L.A. Department of Transportation said a diversion program would be available for low-income recipients of violations to enroll in a payment plan or to perform community service in lieu of paying fines.
The vehicle’s registered owner is expected to receive a written notice of violation within 15 calendar days of the offense.
The recipient then has 30 calendar days to request a review and will receive results from that process in 60 days.
For more information, check out the full article.
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