New Speed Cameras Catch 31,000 Violations In One Month

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — All of San Francisco's 33 new speed cameras are live as of Friday, when a 60-day warning period went into effect. After that, lead-footed drivers beware: speed camera citations will come with some hefty fines.

Citations will be issued starting Aug. 5, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency warned.

The new pilot program is likely to hit Bay Area drivers hard — San Francisco’s new speed safety cameras issued more than 31,000 warnings in April alone — averaging over 1,000 per day, according to the SFMTA.

"Fulton between Arguello Boulevard and 2nd Avenue stands out for the sheer volume of violations," according to an SFMTA report. "This block saw six times more average daily violations than the next most active location."

After Aug. 5, drivers will be fined up to $50 for driving 11-15 mph over the limit all the way up to between $100 and $500 for driving more than 26 mph over the speed limit, according to the program.

Drivers will fined according to the following violations: 11-15 mph over the posted speed limit, up to $50; 16-25 mph over the limit, up to $100; 26-plus mph over the limit, up to $200; and 100-plus mph, up to $500.

The speed cameras are part of a 5-year pilot program, triggered by a rise in speed-related traffic deaths.

"Early data from our pilot program is giving us the clearest picture yet of where, when and how fast people are speeding on our streets," SFMTA announced on Facebook. "Every warning is an opportunity to encourage safer driving and to gather valuable insights into speeding patterns across San Francisco."

Since the first camera went up, SFMTA collected the following data about speeding violations around the city.

Streets with highest number of violations:

• Fulton between Arguello Boulevard and 2nd Avenue saw the highest number of speeding violations – 44% of the average daily total violations.

• Geary between Webster and Buchannan streets ranked second for average daily violations. It also saw the highest recorded speed (65 MPH in a 30 MPH zone).

Speeding behaviors:

• 77% of drivers who received warnings were going 11–15 MPH over the speed limit

• 19% of drivers who received warnings were going 16-20 MPH over the speed limit

• 4% of drivers who received warnings were going 21+ MPH over the speed limit

Timeframe trends:

• Morning rush is when speeding violations happen the most, with the highest number of violations occurring between 7 to 8 a.m.

• Tuesdays had the highest number of speeding violations.

Click the map below to see where speed cameras identified the most speeding violations.