Traffic safety cameras are a proven, effective way to get people to follow traffic laws. This includes stopping at red lights, driving at safe speeds, and following the law in bus lanes. Traffic safety cameras support the goal of our Vision Zero program to end traffic deaths and serious injuries.
What's Happening Now
- We have recently doubled the number of school zone speed safety cameras. There are now 37 school safety zones with safety cameras. Learn more in this blog post.
- In 2027, we will add new 24/7 speed safety cameras in 4 locations along E Marginal Way SW, Sand Point Way NE, and Rainier Ave S. These will be the first of up to 10 new sets of safety cameras coming by early 2029. Learn more about how these locations were selected in this blog post.
Document Library:
- Automated Safety Camera Implementation Guidelines
- 2024-2025 Automated Safety Camera Annual Report
- 24/7 Speed Safety Camera Equity Analysis
Program Background and Results
Seattle has used traffic safety cameras since 2006. Today, safety cameras catch red-light runners, speeders, bus lane violators, and people blocking intersections and crosswalks.
Seattle’s network of traffic safety cameras includes:
- 37 school zones with speed safety cameras.
- 23 intersections with red light cameras
- 6 bus lanes with cameras
- 7 intersections with “block the box” cameras to prevent drivers from blocking crosswalks and intersections
Safety cameras are proven to save lives
Traffic safety cameras are a proven method to ensure people obey traffic safety laws, and significantly reduce the risk of serious crashes over time.
Seattle’s traffic safety cameras have been proven to decrease crashes and illegal behavior over time:
- 71% reduction in crashes in areas where Seattle’s school speed zone cameras are active.
- 50% reduction in fatal collisions at intersections with red light cameras.
- 64% reduction in daily traffic violations per school speed zone camera location.
- 95% of people who receive and pay a ticket never receive another citation at the same camera location.
New 24/7 Speed Cameras Coming in 2027
In 2027, we will add new 24/7 speed safety cameras in 4 locations with a history of excessive speeding and deadly crashes. These will be the first of up to 10 new sets of safety cameras coming by early 2029.
We have identified the following 1-mile long stretches which will be narrowed down to specific blocks in the coming months as design progresses:
- Rainier Ave S (northbound between S Holgate St and S Jackson St).
- E Marginal Way S (between S Fidalgo St and Diagonal Ave S).
- Rainier Ave S (between S Norfolk St and 51st Ave S).
- Sand Point Way NE (between NE 74th St and Matthews Ave NE).
We selected the first set of speed safety camera locations based on careful analysis of safety and equity data, with the goal of choosing places where the cameras will have the biggest safety benefit. Learn more about how these locations were selected.
Traffic Safety Camera Expansion Process
In May 2025, Seattle City Council updated local safety camera laws to align with new state laws and expand the traffic safety camera program to allow new types of cameras.
Other than the school speed zones, we do not yet have specific recommendations for how many of each of the new types of safety cameras to add, or where to locate them. We are currently working to update our traffic safety camera implementation guidelines to provide more detailed criteria for how to choose new safety cameras locations.
Here’s the process we would use to expand the traffic safety camera program:
Step 1 - Select Camera Locations
- We choose camera locations based on a transparent analysis of safety, equity, and input from the community and our program partners within the City.
- The goal is to find the places where cameras can have the biggest safety benefit as we work on other kinds of safety investments which take longer to build.
Step 2 - Education & Engagement
- We are committed to equitable enforcement, including conducting educational outreach about new camera locations as plans are confirmed.
- We also inform local communities where new cameras are planned in a variety of ways like online information and direct outreach.
Step 3 - Safety Cameras Turned On
- We install street signs at least 30 days before the cameras are turned on so people are aware.
Step 4 - Break the Law, a Ticket's Mailed
- Payments are due to the Seattle Municipal Court. You can find more detailed guidance on the Municipal Court’s website.
- There are several options for support if you can’t pay your ticket. People with limited incomes who receive government assistance may be eligible for reduced fines on their first safety camera infraction.
Step 5 - Safety Investments Made
- Most traffic ticket revenue is used to fund safety improvement projects like new sidewalks, flashing beacons, crosswalks, and more.
- This could potentially include safety upgrades which reduce the need for safety cameras in certain locations, allowing us to relocate them to other places or remove them eventually.
- A portion of red-light camera revenue will continue to go to the City’s general fund.
Step 6 - Evaluation
- We will continuously monitor the effectiveness of the safety cameras considering factors such as whether illegal behavior decreases and crashes become less common.
- We will publish an annual evaluation report online and forward the report to Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
- This helps ensure that cameras are used effectively over time. Cameras can potentially be relocated if the data shows there is another place where they are needed more.
How City Departments Work Together
SDOT works closely with the Seattle Police Department to co-manage a network of safety cameras in Seattle. This includes red light cameras, school zone speed cameras, and cameras to prevent drivers from blocking intersections, crosswalks, and bus lanes.
Learn more about the programs in the Seattle Police Department and the Seattle Municipal Courts that support Automated Traffic Safety Cameras.