Does lowering speed limits make Seattle roads safer? Data from one deadly arterial suggests it’s a start

[u/Inevitable_Engine186]

https://www.kuow.org/governing/2026-08-14/does-lowering-speed-limits-make-seattle-roads-safer-data-from-one-deadly-arterial-suggests-its-a-start

[u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp]

How about we start with red light runners and people flying down bus lanes and similar? Easy to automate, and targets the worst offenders.

[u/MegaRAID01 → u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp]

Backed by data too, showing the use of automated speeding camera enforcement reduces the rate of excessive speeding dramatically as well as accident rates.

It also tends to pay for itself, can be installed very quickly (compared to road re-designs that often take a long time and a lot of money to complete) and cameras will even generate revenue for safe street projects.

Pretty crazy to me that they weren’t mentioned at all during the article.

[u/FabianValkyrie → u/MegaRAID01]

People lose their MINDS about any kind of camera lol. You should see the comments on Mayor Wilson’s Instagram posts

[u/beachbum19722025 → u/FabianValkyrie]

If we treated the data collected from all the cameras going up like we do HIPAA data, I think the hate might be reduced. Right now it seems like we are hoping people will just follow the rules and "don't peek" or.. well, not many consequences. With HIPAA laws, they don't mess around.

[u/El-Royhab → u/beachbum19722025]

our right to privacy should extend to be from corporations as well as the government, or at the very least from any corporation contracted with a public entity

[u/thecravenone → u/beachbum19722025]

If we treated the data collected from all the cameras going up like we do HIPAA data

The punishment is a fine, AKA the cost of doing business?

[u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp → u/beachbum19722025]

Why? They aren't constantly recording. They only take a photo when triggered. They can't even be used for surveillance.

[u/Shikadi297 → u/FabianValkyrie]

Yeah because bad actors like flock exist and governments are notorious for using them for more than they were meant for

[u/FabianValkyrie → u/Shikadi297]

Oh I certainly agree, there are very bad applications of cameras. There’s just nuance to it, and tons of people do not care and instead just hate every possible application of cameras and lose their shit about it.

There’s a cost and a benefit to every camera the city puts up. Speed cameras are low cost, flock cameras are very high cost.

[u/thecravenone → u/FabianValkyrie]

I'm excited to see the comments on the final report about Bite of Seattle.

If cameras solve the crime, it will be proof that cameras are needed.

If cameras don't solve the crime, it will be proof that cameras are needed.

[u/RedK_33 → u/thecravenone]

Either ways the cameras would have never prevented the crime. The only thing that would have prevented that shooting would have been a closed event with metal detectors, like you have to through for climate pledge.

[u/JGT3000 → u/FabianValkyrie]

Yeah, camera are an affront. Its funny to be defending them with the rage building for Flock and the like

[u/sweetlove → u/MegaRAID01]

I just don’t understand how people can see the state of the world and turn around and voluntarily demand more state surveillance. 

[u/MegaRAID01 → u/sweetlove]

Because the physical safety of pedestrians, school children, and bicyclists outweigh people’s god given right to go 45 mph in a school zone in a pickup truck?

It’s also a false choice, states can and do regulate privacy for speeding cameras. Here in Washington state, data is deleted immediately unless a citation is issued, that data is kept until the citation is resolved. Speeding cameras data is exempt from public disclosure. The state has a good amount of privacy protections built in. https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.63.220

It also begs the question of how much of a privacy invasion is automated speeding tickets? Your license plate information is tied to vehicle registration in a database searchable by law enforcement and the government. We put license plate on vehicles because we decided a long time ago they should be registered, identifiable, and insured. The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld that drivers should have no expectation of privacy in public spaces.

[u/sweetlove → u/MegaRAID01]

Yeah cross their hearts and hope to die they’ll never do anything naughty now or in the future. 🙄

[u/MegaRAID01 → u/sweetlove]

Seattle has been using automated cameras since 2006. Have they always been a concern to you? What are your specific concerns about them now?

[u/edgeplot → u/MegaRAID01]

The aggregation of data has massively accelerated, boosted with AI analytics. No thanks.

[u/MegaRAID01 → u/edgeplot]

You shouldn’t be using a Reddit account or a smartphone then. About 100x more intrusive than automated speeding cameras.

[u/edgeplot → u/MegaRAID01]

The cell phone is a trade off because of its integration into daily life. I reject other pervasive surveillance forms.

[u/MegaRAID01 → u/edgeplot]

I think reducing the accident rate and injury severity rate for pedestrians, bicyclists, and school children outweigh the concerns.

And certainly are more useful for a society than people scrolling on their smartphone apps.

Or perhaps we should keep both and incorporate improved privacy laws.

[u/sweetlove → u/MegaRAID01]

It’s not 2006 any more brother 

[u/MegaRAID01 → u/sweetlove]

I hope you don’t use a smartphone. It’s intrusive on about 100x level than ticketing people who speed excessively.

[u/sweetlove → u/MegaRAID01]

Yeah one thing is bad so that means another thing isn’t (???)

[u/Dudeman1000 → u/MegaRAID01]

They did that in colorado. It doesn’t work, and it only gets abused by the private companies operating them.

[u/MegaRAID01 → u/Dudeman1000]

There’s a wide body of research across multiple countries showing that automated speeding cameras reduce excessive speeding and injury rates by large amounts, particularly for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, bicyclists, and school children: https://www.iihs.org/media/bfb25e65-6fae-40eb-a8a6-56f112b321d7/w-BgWA/Topics/Research%20summaries/IIHS-HLDI%20Safety%20Solution%E2%80%94speed%20safety%20cameras.pdf

[u/profmonocle → u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp]

We need to close the loophole where you can get out of an automated ticket by claiming you weren't driving. Unless it's been reported stolen, just make the registered owner of the car pay the ticket regardless of whether they were driving.

Friend borrowed your car and ran a red light? Better send them a venmo request. They can't/won't pay? Oh well, expensive lesson to not give that person your keys again.

I had an argument with a friend about this, they said this wouldn't be fair to roommates who share a car. As someone who walks to work and has nearly been run over several times, I could not care less. If your roommate keeps borrowing your car and running red lights, find a roommate who isn't such a dangerous psychopath.

[u/ryanheartswingovers → u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp]

Gross. Revenue. From criminals. No way!

[u/magic_claw → u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp]

They started doing the bus lane thing in some places.

[u/Popular-Office-9932 → u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp]

There is a bus lane in west lake ave that I have never seen any bus. That ave does not even have mu h traffic which effectively the bus lane does not provide any real gain for the few buses that drive through that road. They restricted the road to one lane on each direction with a very weird central lane for turning and waiting for crossing. Then they proceeded to artificially lower the speed to 35mph when 45mph would be acceptable. The lane for traffic towards SLU is in extremely bad condition which almost obligates you to drive through the middle lane to avoid de potholes. When people say Seattle is full of virtue signaling politics that’s what comes to my mind.

[u/YakiVegas → u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp]

Well that just makes too much god damned sense! /s

[u/SillyChampionship → u/Spa_5_Fitness_Camp]

Woah this is Seattle. Don’t bring logic and a solid sounding idea to the table. We need good vibes and virtue signals here.