SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- Speed cameras will be installed at 33 locations around San Jose to slow down South Bay drivers. Drivers who are caught going too fast on the automated cameras will receive tickets with fines, and city leaders said the program will save lives.
Jorge Quiroz and his family experienced something in 2013 that no family ever should. His 5-year-old daughter, Aileen, was struck and killed by a speeding driver near Parkview Elementary School in San Jose.
Quiroz said Friday, "Dangerous speeding killed our daughter Aileen. Our lives were torn apart by something that was completely preventable." The father said his daughter loved playing soccer so much, "she would line up her little cleats ... proud of them like they were trophies. She loved coming with me to my soccer training sessions. Seeing her smile while I coach, those were some of the best moments of my life."
(KRON4 Photo)
Traffic fatalities occur with tragic frequency in San Jose, and Mayor Matt Mahan hopes the cameras will save some families from losing a loved one in the future.
The mayor said speeding-related crashes killed 41 victims and left 265 severely hurt in San Jose within the past five years. Mahan said, "Behind every traffic fatality is a family that will never be whole again."
Sixty-six cameras will be installed at 33 locations. The cameras will ticket drivers who go 11 miles per hour over the speed limit or more. Fines range between $50-$200. Starting on Dec. 14, drivers will begin receiving warnings. By mid-February 2027, citations will begin.
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Mayor Mahan said cameras are already making a difference in San Francisco. "In San Francisco, for example, excessive speeding at camera locations has fallen 84% in just 18 months," he said.
Quiroz said, "If anyone wonders why speed cameras matter, think of Aileen. Think of the families that will never get another hug."
