Blue City Launching Insane New Speed Camera Program Than Fines Drivers Based on Income

San Francisco is launching a new speeding ticket program that adjusts fines based on a driver’s income, with major discounts for low-income and homeless individuals. Backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the new law is raising eyebrows over fairness and constitutionality.

Key Facts:

Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Speed Safety System Pilot Program into law in October 2023.
San Francisco activated the program on March 20 with 33 speed cameras, about half of which are operational.
Speeding fines range from $50 to $500, but drivers at or below 200% of the federal poverty level receive a 50% discount.
Homeless individuals, deemed indigent, are eligible for an 80% reduction in fines.
The cameras are placed in “high injury” areas and will issue warnings for the first 60 days before issuing fines.

The Rest of The Story:

San Francisco’s new traffic enforcement system doesn’t just use automated cameras—it adjusts penalties based on income.

After a grace period of 60 days for warnings, fines will be issued to those driving 11 mph or more over the speed limit.

The city’s transportation agency says the cameras were installed “in an equitable fashion” and focused on streets where traffic injuries are most common.

Officials claim the program aims to make roads safer without targeting any one neighborhood unfairly.

Los Angeles is planning a similar rollout in 2026, offering community service options for low-income offenders instead of traditional fines.

33 speed cameras go will be activated tomorrow in San Francisco at these locations.

Fines range from $50-$500.

SF will become the first city in California to implement them. Oakland and San Jose will also add them.@KTVU Live at 10 pm with the story pic.twitter.com/ot9vkNUkaB

— Betty Yu (@bett_yu) March 20, 2025

Commentary:

This is the kind of policy that sounds fair on the surface but falls apart under scrutiny.

Fining people based on their income sets a troubling precedent—should a millionaire pay ten times more for the same offense as someone earning minimum wage?

That’s not justice, that’s discrimination disguised as equity.

Laws are supposed to apply equally to everyone.

SPEED CAMERAS

Here are the fines speeding drivers in San Francisco will face after a 60-day grace period that starts tomorrow@KTVU pic.twitter.com/PQ4Qd45VtG

— Betty Yu (@bett_yu) March 20, 2025

The minute you start adjusting penalties based on class or wealth, you no longer have a rule of law—you have a rule of exceptions.

There’s no question that speeding laws should be enforced.

But the punishment should fit the offense, not the offender’s tax bracket.

If someone challenged this policy in court, it’s hard to believe it would hold up.

Equal protection under the law is a foundational principle in this country.

It’s also hard to imagine a Republican-run state ever passing such a law—this is pure blue-state ideology in action.

And really, what are they drinking in California these days?

At what point did lawmakers decide fairness meant treating people differently based on how much money they make?

It’s a warped version of justice that has nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with political signaling.

The Bottom Line:

San Francisco’s new speed camera program charges drivers different fines based on how much money they make.

While the city says it’s about safety and equity, critics argue it violates the basic idea that laws should apply equally to all.

As more cities consider similar programs, the debate over fairness and legality is just getting started.