After four years of advocacy, Streets Are For Everyone (SAFE) celebrated a significant milestone last October when Governor Newsom signed the speed camera safety bill (AB 645) into law. With the passage of this law, six California cities—Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose—were given the green light to roll out a five-year speed-camera pilot program. AB 645 requires that the cameras be used only on designated high-injury/high-speed roads, known street racing corridors, and around school zones. 

Unfortunately, tragedy struck just weeks after the law's enactment when four Pepperdine students lost their lives on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) due to a speeding driver exceeding 100 mph. Recognizing the urgent need for change along PCH, SAFE immediately engaged with the Malibu community. Following a partnership and advocacy campaign, proposals for changes to the iconic stretch of highway led to the introduction of Senate Bill 1297, Malibu's own Speed Camera Pilot bill, co-sponsored by SAFE. 

On April 16th, Senator Ben Allen, the bill’s architect who represents Malibu, stood with family members of those killed on PCH, urging members of the Senate Transportation Committee to pass SB 1297. And pass they did! With 14 voting in favor and only one voting against it, SB 1297 now goes to the Appropriations Committee and then the full CA State Senate.  

The bill still has a long way to go in the state legislature before it’s signed into law, but if it passes, it will allow Malibu to install five-speed camera systems along a critical 21-mile stretch of the PCH. These systems will be coordinated with radar feedback signs to effectively deter speeding and reckless driving and promote safer road behaviors. 

During his testimony, Senator Allen echoed SAFE’s research, emphasizing that "Malibu is one of the nation’s deadliest cities for car crashes, with high-vehicle speed being the primary factor in most of these incidents." SAFE recently published its report on the direct connection between traffic violence, speeding, and distracted driving. The report, titled Dying on the Streets of Los Angeles, examines traffic violence trends, associated statistics, and the underlying numbers behind them in Los Angeles. While Malibu isn’t Los Angeles, many reasons and factors contributing to the dangers of PCH in Malibu are the same. 

We want to thank Michel Shane, father of Emily Shane, who was killed on PCH in 2010, and Barry Stewart, father of Peyton Stewart, who was killed on PCH in October 2023, for flying to Sacramento to testify in support of SB 1297. 

As the bill moves forward, we look forward to continuing our work with Senator Allen and the community of Malibu on this important legislation. Last week’s hearing is a significant step forward in our ongoing mission to enhance road safety for everyone in Los Angeles.