Legislation to Crack Down on Reckless Speeding Advances with Bipartisan Vote
SACRAMENTO, CA - Senator Stern’s SB 1509 advanced to the Assembly with a 27-1 vote on the Senate floor Wednesday. Drivers exceeding the speed limit by 26 mph or more on surface streets and highways would be treated as reckless drivers, resulting in two points on their driving record and potential suspension of license.
"Speed kills,” said Senator Stern (D-Los Angeles). “And in California, deadly speeding has become an epidemic since the pandemic, with working people and communities of color suffering the most.”
Co-author Senator Roger Niello (R-Fairoaks) stated, “Speeding and reckless driving have reached untenable levels post-pandemic. We must do more to hold this dangerous activity liable. SB 1509 will provide for that needed accountability.”
“This will ultimately make people think about what they are doing. 26 miles an hour over the speed limit in a residential area is not something you do passively, it is something you do aggressively,” Co-Author Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) said on the floor.
The coalition of support for the bill is growing with LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and LA City Council joining the efforts of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, along with street safety advocates and victims of extreme speeding.
“I support Sen. Stern’s SB 1509 as one of many tools we need to reduce the alarming rates of speed-related collisions on our roads and highways,” said District 3 Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “This is the kind of action required to prevent serious harm and protect our communities, including Malibu where tragic deaths on the Pacific Coast Highway must end.”
In 2023, the city of Los Angeles alone saw a 20-year high of 336 traffic deaths. Annually, the state continues to see an increase in traffic deaths. In 2020, 1,288 Californians died in speed-related collisions. The numbers are not yet complete for 2023, but if they mirrored the first six months of the year, we’re looking at over 4,000 Californians lost to traffic collisions. For the last four years, 30% of the state's collisions have been speed related.
LA City Council President Paul Krekorian led the council in support of SB 1509, “Driving 26 miles an hour over the posted speed limit is reckless driving and it’s time we call it what it is,” said Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian (CD-2), who introduced Safe Streets legislation when he served in the State Assembly. “If we make it clear that extreme speeders risk suspension, we will prevent crippling accidents, save lives, and spare many Californians the unimaginable sorrow of losing a loved one to a reckless driver.”
"In the past few years, we've seen an alarming uptick in the rise of traffic fatalities, with California ranking second in the nation for the most speed-related traffic fatalities in both 2020 and 2021," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman (CD-4). "This is nothing short of a public health crisis and it is imperative we take action at all levels of government to prevent this loss of life. SB1509 is one such action -- by raising the driving record violation to two points for drivers convicted of going 26 miles per hour or faster than the speed limit, we can better identify dangerous drivers and hold them accountable."
Since 2019, California has climbed to the top of national rankings in speed-related deaths, with nearly 30% of all motor vehicle deaths for the last four years being attributed to speed.
Lili Trujillo-Pluckett, founder of Street Racing Kills, stated “In 2013, speed shattered my world in seconds! It robbed my 16-year-old daughter of her life and her future, leaving behind family and friends heartbroken and devastated,” said Trujillo-Pluckett. “In the blink of an eye, speed can steal everything, leaving only memories to mourn. SB1509 can reduce speed-related crashes and prevent a parent from losing a child.”
Lori Argumedo from Los Angeles lost her niece to extreme speeding just 6 years after Lili, a traumatic bond they will forever share. “Over the past 5 years I have shared Bethany’s store with the youth and our communities with the intent of preventing this from happening to another family. Reckless driving is 100 percent preventable, and no one should lose their life in such a tragic way,” said Agumedo.
A recently revisited UCLA policy brief titled Prioritizing Black Lives in L.A.’s Traffic Safety Efforts, Revisited showed growing disparities in traffic violence deaths for Black and Latino people. According to the brief, the disparities in traffic fatalities among Black travelers in LA rose from 14% in 2013-2017 to 17% in 2018-2022. While Black Angelinos make up only 8% of LA’s population, they represent 16% of driving fatalities, 22% of pedestrian fatalities, and 19%of bicycle fatalities. Between 2013 and 2017, Black and Latino people made up 25% of LA’s pedestrian deaths. From 2018 to 2022, this proportion increased to 30%.
Damian Kevitt, Executive Director of Streets Are For Everyone, was hit while on his bike in Feb 2013, surviving but lost his leg, is co-sponsor of the measure. "California is facing a serious public health crisis on our roads due to traffic violence,” Kevitt says. “Drivers going well over speed limits, especially in school zones or shopping districts, pose a significant threat to public safety. The bill is the least we can do to rein in irresponsible and reckless drivers who blatantly disregard the safety of others around them."
The City of Malibu is especially appreciative of the bill and Malibu Mayor Steve Uhring is in full support of cracking down on speeding on Pacific Coast Highway. “PCH is a scenic state highway, but it is also Malibu’s Main Street, lined with hundreds of homes and businesses, so keeping it safe is a top priority for the community,” said Mayor Steve Uhring. “Malibu is deeply grateful to Senator Stern for championing this piece of legislation to help make PCH safer. It will send a strong signal to the world that speeding will not be tolerated in Malibu.”
In addition to SB 1509, Senator Stern and his colleagues Senator Ben Allen and Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin are advocating for increased funding for law enforcement, the rapid deployment of speed cameras, and enhancements to street safety infrastructure, such as lane separators, crosswalk striping, more visible road striping, and additional speed limit and curve warning signs.
SB 1509 Overview: Adds 2 points to driving records for those exceeding the speed limit by 26 mph or more on roads with a posted speed limit of 55 mph or less. (Fact sheet attached)
To watch the floor debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xplgn1DoMgo
To watch the press conference: (276) Sen. Stern: SB 1509, The NOT in California Act - YouTube