Newsom signs bill to add speed cameras on PCH, nearly 1 year after fatal crash

Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Friday to authorize speed cameras to be installed at five locations along Pacific Coast Highway.

The signing of this bill comes as the one-year anniversary of the fatal crash involving four Pepperdine University students nears. 

Senate Bill 1297, authored by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, and co-authored by Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, is intended to place speed feedback signs, in addition to automated speed cameras on the 21-mile stretch of PCH that will result in speeding drivers being fined. 

“SB 1297 is just one additional piece of the puzzle to help save lives along one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in California. I want to thank my colleagues in both the Senate and Assembly for moving this bill forward and thank the City of Malibu for their diligence and support in helping get us to where we are today,” Irwin said in a statement. 

Irwin noted how about $4.2 million has been spent on safety improvement along PCH and the passage of this bill will serve as an additional component to help save lives in the area. 

“We know speed cameras can help curb reckless speeding – an issue this beautiful stretch of highway has been plagued with for years – so I am grateful the Governor recognizes the important role this equipment will play in saving lives. I look forward to continuing to work alongside the City for further road safety improvements that will build on this milestone,” Allen said in a statement. 

The bill was introduced in February, about four months after the deaths of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams, the Pepperdine University students. They were killed on the night of Oct. 17, 2023, when a 22-year-old driver, who was allegedly speeding on PCH, slammed into some parked cars on the roadway. Those parked cars then hit and killed the four women, according to sheriff’s officials. There was a fifth victim, who was injured in the accident. 

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

Parents of the four women and the surviving student filed lawsuits against the state, Caltrans, the California Coastal Commission, Los Angeles County, and Malibu on Sept. 17 in relation to the accident. Additional separately filed lawsuits contend that all of the entities share liability for the allegedly dangerous roadway design on that stretch of PCH and for not implementing safety measures.

There has since been widespread calls to implement safety measures. Those measures have included infrastructure improvements, enhanced enforcement and community outreach.

"We are incredibly grateful to Gov. Newsom for signing this life-saving bill into law. 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," Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart said in a statement.

The city of Malibu had declared a state of emergency after the fatal accident in 2023 to address illegal, dangerous, and reckless driving on PCH. They also worked with CHP in January to establish a task force with three officers dedicated to enforcing speed limits on PCH. 

The efforts to improve safety along the roadway, with support from LASD, led to a 36% reduction in injury crashes on PCH, according to officials. 

"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," Stewart said.

Another supporter of SB 1297, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, called the signing a victory. 

“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."

This legislation was also sponsored by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, and Sen. Henry Stern, D-Los Angeles.

The law requires there to be clear signage posted in the area to notify drivers of the new system. The new law goes into effect in January 2025. 

The city of Malibu is now expected to develop and present a plan to the City Council to implement the speed cameras. It’s intended to outline the process for deploying the cameras and to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements.