Launched in December 2025, the Forwarded Actions for Speeding Tickets (FAST) program is a joint effort between the DMV and the California Highway Patrol. It reflects growing alarm over deadly driving behavior, with authorities now focusing on administrative intervention to stop speeders before they cause fatal crashes.
Officials say the FAST program is designed to act quickly and independently of court proceedings. “We want to take immediate action against dangerous drivers before their carelessness leads to a deadly crash,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon, adding that the DMV and CHP are “ready to put the brakes on this reckless behavior.”
Extreme Speeding Cases Sent Directly To DMV For Review
Each month, California Highway Patrol officers issue an estimated 1,600 citations to drivers caught exceeding 100 mph. In 2024, more than 18,000 such citations were issued across the state, according to the California State Transportation Agency.
Under the new program, every citation for speeding over 100 mph will be automatically forwarded to the DMV’s Driver Safety Branch, regardless of the offender’s prior driving history. Once received, the DMV reviews both the case and the driver’s record to determine whether to take action. Penalties can include suspension or revocation of the offender’s driving privileges.
This administrative process operates independently of any court conviction, allowing the DMV to act faster than the traditional judicial system. The FAST program is not permanent. Officials plan to evaluate its effectiveness by comparing citation and outcome data from the same period the previous year.
Traffic Fatalities Continue To Rise Across California
Traffic-related deaths in California have climbed steadily in recent years, and officials say reckless speeding is a major factor. According to CalMatters, nearly 40,000 people have died and more than 2 million have been injured on California roads over the past decade.
In 2023, more than 3,600 fatalities and over 14,000 serious injuries were recorded on state public roads. Many incidents involved repeat DUI offenders, chronic speeders, or drivers with documented histories of reckless behavior.
A 2024 report by ConsumerAffairs, using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, identified ten stretches of state roads where fatalities caused by speeding have increased. The five deadliest stretches in 2022 were:
- 15 Freeway in San Bernardino County: 48 deaths (up from 33 in 2018)
- 10 Freeway in Riverside County: 31 deaths (up from 25)
- 5 Freeway in San Diego County: 21 deaths (up from 19)
- 5 Freeway in Orange County: 16 deaths (up from 14)
- 101 Freeway in Santa Barbara County: 15 deaths (up from 7)
Researchers link these increases to behavior changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, when less-congested roads encouraged more dangerous speeding.
Speed Camera Rollout Targets Urban Corridors
A separate but parallel effort is underway through a five-year pilot program to install automated speed cameras in seven California cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San José, Glendale, Long Beach, and later, Malibu. These cameras are designed to capture license plates and automatically issue citations based on how far a driver exceeds the posted speed limit. The fine structure under the program is:
- $50 for 11–15 mph over the limit
- $100 for 15–25 mph over
- $200 for 26–99 mph over
- $500 for more than 100 mph
Each city is at a different stage of implementation. Glendale has already activated cameras at nine locations. San Francisco completed its 60-day warning period between June and July, and began issuing citations in August. The city reported a 72% decrease in speeding at 15 monitored locations, with 20,000 fewer vehicles speeding per day. In total, 16,555 citations were issued following the warning phase, according to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Long Beach is set to install 18 cameras by spring, and Oakland plans to deploy 18 more within six weeks, according to Oaklandside. San José began installing red-light cameras during summer, and expects to expand the system.
In Malibu, which joined the program following strong local advocacy, 21 miles of Pacific Coast Highway, a frequent crash site, will be covered by cameras in time for Memorial Day, ahead of the summer tourist season. “We want people to come to Malibu and have a good time and not have tragedies,” said Susan Dueñas, the city’s public safety director. “We’ve had way too many and it’s exhausting.”
On October 17, Malibu marked two years since a crash on PCH that killed four Pepperdine University students, Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams, a tragedy that renewed public demands for safer roads.
