While many applaud the city’s effort to better prioritize public safety, others are calling this a case of “All people are equal, but some people are more equal than others”.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie inaugurated a new speeding camera program on Thurs. Mar 20, an effort to curb traffic-related crime. The new system funded by Gov Gavin Newsom comes after shocking news that more people died from traffic-related accidents than homicides in 2024.
“These cameras will help our city’s resources go further,” Mayor Lurie announced at the unveiling ceremony, adding that “SFMTA will collaborate with our police department on a holistic approach to punish and prevent egregious speeding.”
The 33 newly installed radar cameras are now located strategically at school zones and “high-injury” areas across SF. They will cover at the very least 68% of traffic-related injuries and deaths in the Golden Gate city, Fox News reported. Many residents are applauding the city’s effort to better prioritize public safety, especially SF local Jenny Yu, whose elderly mother was struck by a speeding driver in 2011 and has since suffered from chronic brain injury.
Controversially, the penal arrangement tied to the program is devised with a new income-based fine system for traffic-related ticketing. Speeding offenders in SF who earn less than $30,120 annually, 200% below the federal poverty line, are eligible for a 50% discount on their mailed fine, regardless of repeat status. The homeless can even get 80% off their fine. Equal justice under law is lost when higher earning offenders for the same crime must pay the full amount.
Many feel traffic tickets beholden to social equity could open up a “woke penalty loophole.” The teaching sting of the infamous speeding ticket may be lost due to discount, unlike the “slide-scale penalties” administered in Finland that increase the penalty the higher the income without lessening the punishment due on lower earners.
The state’s Republican Party commented on the preferential nature of this ticketing method, interpreting it as Democrats’ way of saying, “All people are equal, but some people are more equal than others,” simply put.
Another local, Sophie Rehlaeder, also expressed doubtful concerns with the city’s income-based speeding measures, noting it as cold and inhuman. “I don’t like the idea of a flash and you get a ticket in the mail,” Rehlaeder told ABC 7.
Still, most can agree that safety is always first. “No matter how you get around in our city, you should be able to do it without fearing for your life,” Mayor Lurie reinforced in his announcement, “It is my job as mayor to protect our residents and visitors.”
For the first 60 calendar days, only warnings will be issued to offenders caught on the cameras. Afterwards, the fines will start at a $50 minimum penalty. If successful, Newsom plans to expand all across California, including Los Angeles, Glendale, Malibu, and San Jose.
