Gov. Newsom signs speed camera law for Pacific Coast Highway after 2023 tragedy

27.09.2024 23:00

DailyNews.com

As the one-year anniversary of a fatal crash involving four Pepperdine University students nears, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, Sept. 27, signed legislation authorizing speed cameras to be installed at five locations along Pacific Coast Highway.

He signed Senate Bill 1297, authored by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, and co-authored by Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, to place speed feedback signs and automated speed cameras on the 21-mile stretch of road that will fine speeding drivers. Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, and Sen. Henry Stern, D-Los Angeles, also sponsored the measure.

The law goes into effect in January 2025.

Allen said in a statement that the installation of the cameras can help curb reckless speeding — an issue this stretch of the coastal highway has been “plagued with for years.”

Friends and family members gather near Pepperdine University and sign white tires, one month after four students were killed. Four white tires were place in a lot by the collage in the memory Tuesday, Malibu CA. Nov 14, 2023.Photo by Gene Blevins/Contributing Photographer)

Irwin noted that $4.2 million has already been spent on safety improvements on PCH, and with the passage of the bill, it will serve as an additional component to save lives.

“We are incredibly grateful to Gov. Newsom for signing this life-saving bill into law,” Mayor Doug Stewart said in a statement. “SB 1297 is a major victory for public safety in Malibu, and it brings us one step closer to making PCH safer for everyone who travels through our city.”

L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, a supporter of the bill, called the signing a victory that resulted from an “all-hands-on-deck” action.

“More roadway safety improvements and public education for the region are underway,” Horvath said in a statement. “This kind of action happens when we don’t allow the boundaries of government to become barriers for action.”

The bill was introduced in February, about four months after the deaths of four Pepperdine students — Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams.

Sheriff’s deputies are on the scene of a crash late Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, on the 21600 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu that killed four female students from Pepperdine University. The driver suspected of causing the crash was arrested, booked and later released. (Image from Key News Network video)

Reporters stand by a streetwise memorial of candles and flowers placed along along the Pacific Coast Highway, after a crash that killed four college students and injured two others, in Malibu, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. Officials say police have arrested a 22-year-old driver on suspicion of manslaughter. Sheriff’s officials say six pedestrians were struck at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday along Pacific Coast Highway, a few miles east of Pepperdine University. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

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The students, who were all 20 or 21 years old, were killed on the night of Oct. 17, 2023, when a driver who was allegedly speeding west on PCH slammed into several parked cars on the north shoulder of the roadway. Sheriff’s officials said the parked cars struck the four women, killing them at the scene.

The driver, Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, was charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

The tragedy prompted widespread calls for increased safety along the stretch of PCH, with an emphasis on slowing down speeding drivers. Measures have also included infrastructure improvements, enhanced enforcement and community outreach.

“As we mark the one-year anniversary of this tragic event, we remain dedicated to doing everything we can to improve safety and will continue collaborating with Caltrans, law enforcement, and other partners to achieve these goals,” Malibu Mayor said.

In January, officials partnered with the California Highway Patrol to establish a task force with three officers dedicated to PCH enforcement. Officials said the combined efforts with support from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department led to a 36% reduction in injury collisions on PCH.

As a next step, the city of Malibu is expected to develop and present an implementation plan to the City Council, outlining the process for deploying the speed cameras and ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.