Surveillance cameras that automatically catch speeding drivers in school zones and “safety corridors” will be legal in California for the first time next year, thanks to a controversial traffic-safety bill that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Friday.
The bill, AB645, was championed by dozens of cities and community groups — and opposed by some privacy watchdogs. Written by Assembly Member Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, it sets up a pilot program to deploy speed-enforcement cameras in three Bay Area cities: San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose. Also participating are Los Angeles, Glendale (Los Angeles County) and Long Beach.