California is famously car-first, but SoCalifornia takes that dependence to another level. With millions of people relying on roads for daily commutes, weekend trips and beach access, cities and transportation agencies regularly turn to new measures to make busy roadways safer for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and even wildlife. Malibu is now adding another tool to those efforts.
The city recently announced that the Pacific Coast Highway is getting a high-tech speed camera system, with installation nearing completion. The program’s public education phase was launched on August 18, giving drivers a heads-up about where the cameras will operate, how they work, and when speeding violations can result in fines.
When and where will Malibu install the speed cameras along PCH?
The system is being implemented by the City of Malibu along its 21-mile stretch of PCH, a notoriously congested corridor that also serves as a major commuter and beach-access route.
The city can operate up to five automated speed enforcement systems with 10 cameras within Malibu. Here’s the timeline drivers should know:
- Education phase: August 18 through September 30, 2026. The city will explain how the system works, where and when it will be implemented, and its safety goals.
- Warning period: Beginning in late September, drivers who exceed the speed threshold will receive warnings only for 60 days.
- Enforcement phase: Beginning in late November, qualifying violations will result in civil penalties. These violations will not add points to a driver’s license or affect insurance rates.
The camera locations were selected based on areas with high rates of speed-related crashes and fatalities. They include:
- Decker Road & PCH
- Morning View Drive & PCH
- Latigo Canyon & PCH
- Carbon Beach Terrace & PCH
- Carbon Canyon Road & PCH
- Tuna Canyon & PCH
The city says violations issued by the cameras will not add points to a driver’s license or affect insurance rates.
How the new PCH high-tech speed cameras work
The system uses lidar technology and advanced cameras to detect vehicles traveling at least 11 mph over the posted speed limit. When a qualifying violation is detected, the equipment captures an image of the vehicle’s rear license plate and automatically generates a citation for review.
The cameras are not intended to continuously record traffic. Instead, recording begins when a speed violation is detected, while non-violation data is deleted immediately. Violation records are destroyed within 60 days after the case is resolved, and the city says the information will not be shared with other government agencies.
