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LA Speed Limits Continue To Rise Because Of This State Law, But There's An Effort To Change It
Despite the fact that speed is the biggest factor in deadly traffic collisions — particularly when someone not in a car is hit — L.A. continues to raise speed limits on its streets.
That's because police aren't allowed to use radar or laser to enforce speed laws on streets that haven't been surveyed in seven to 10 years. The results of those surveys typically require the city to raise the posted speed limit due to the 85th percentile rule, which is the basis for how speed limits are set statewide.
If that process seems counterintuitive, a growing number of public officials, safety advocates, traffic researchers and lawmakers across California agree. They say the law hinders cities' ability to make streets safer for all road users, and they're pushing to change it.
"Not only is it a stupid law, it's also a dangerous law because we know that the faster people are going, the more likely someone who gets hit by a car is going to die," L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin told us this week. "It actually has deadly consequences."
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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