Are speed cameras about safety – or more tickets?

Lawmakers are turning to speed cameras and red-light cameras to catch drivers breaking traffic rules.

Hundreds of communities across the country use red-light and speed cameras.

But the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says the cameras miss the bigger picture. The group says the goal should be safer, smoother traffic – not a flood of tickets and fines.

Still, states keep expanding the rules around speed cameras and red-light cameras. In some instances, states are taking steps to rein them in.

Arizona

Arizona lawmakers are putting the future of automated enforcement in voters’ hands.

A proposed constitutional amendment would require local voter approval before cities could operate speed or red-light camera programs.

Existing camera programs would get a temporary pass. But local voters would still have to decide whether those cameras stay.

If voters approve a program, it could run for 10 years. After that, voters would get another say.

The question is headed to the November statewide ballot. Supporters say law enforcement should protect people – not become a money machine for government.

“I loathe photo radar, and I hate it with every fiber in my body, but this is a grand compromise,” said Rep. Teresa Martinez, R-Casa Grande. “This allows the cities to put it up for a vote amongst themselves.”

Critics say the cameras can slow drivers and make dangerous roads safer.

Virginia

Speed cameras are spreading across Virginia.

The Virginian-Pilot reported that law enforcement collected $54 million from these devices in 2025. That was more than $20 million above the previous year’s total.

Virginia first allowed speed cameras six years ago. Since then, lawmakers have expanded their use to work zones and school zones.

Drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the limit can get a ticket in the mail. Fines can reach $100.

Drivers must also get a warning. Signs must be posted within 1,000 feet of each speed camera.

This year, Virginia lawmakers added more rules.

One new law targets speed cameras in highway work zones. Cameras can only operate when workers are actually on the job.

New cameras also require a 30-day warning period before tickets can be issued.

Once operating costs are covered, ticket money must go toward traffic safety. If local governments use the money for something else, they can lose funds to the state.

The law also allows cameras in designated “safety red zones.” Drivers must see two clear warning signs before entering the enforcement area.

Another law requires speed camera revenue to go into a local fund used only for traffic safety. Work zones and dangerous intersections must get priority.

A separate law allows local police to use cameras to catch stop-sign violations in highway work zones. But there is a catch. Workers must be present when the cameras are operating.

Cameras can also be used in high-risk speed corridors.

Maryland

Maryland is adding another tool to the speed-enforcement fight.

A new law allows speed cameras on highway sections labeled “safety corridors.” The corridors are areas the State Highway Administration considers especially dangerous for people who use the road.

Local governments can also install the systems.

The rules are similar to those already used for speed cameras in work zones. The fines can range from $40 to $425. The faster the driver is going, the bigger the hit.

California

California lawmakers are looking to expand the reach of speed cameras.

In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law allowing speed cameras to enforce posted speed limits in certain areas.

Glendale, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, San Jose and the city and county of San Francisco were allowed to use them.

The cameras can be placed in safety corridors. That includes areas with high crash rates, street racing problems and school zones. Freeways and expressways are off-limits.

A year later, lawmakers added Malibu to the list. The city was permitted to place up to five speed cameras along a 21-mile stretch of Pacific Coast Highway. Drivers caught speeding face higher fines as their speed climbs.

Long Beach can also use up to 18 speed cameras. But the city was blocked from using them along an eight-mile section of Pacific Coast Highway.

A new bill would change that.

SB1279 would allow Long Beach to place two cameras along that stretch.

Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, said the cameras make roads safer. She pointed out the eight-mile stretch of highway accounts for more than 30% of the city’s speeding-related fatalities.

“While the PCH only accounts for eight miles of Long Beach’s 217 miles of high-capacity roadway, it accounts for 39 of its 192 crash fatalities since 2020,” Gonzalez said. “SB1279 will give the city the authority it needs to make this road safer for the community.”

The National Motorist Association disputes the argument. The group says the fatality numbers do not prove that unsafe speed is the main problem on the highway.

The Senate has approved SB1279. The bill has also cleared an Assembly committee and is waiting for its next step. LL