Malibu speed cameras log 100,000 violations in eight days Play

Malibu's new automated speed cameras detected 100,000 speeding violations in eight days after they were turned on earlier this month.

You heard that right — 100,000 speed violations in eight days from drivers exceeding the speed limit by 11 miles an hour or more.

You can guess where 86% of those 100,000 speeding violations were: in the chaotic 25 mph traffic zone in the eastern part of the city.

Caltrans engineers have set the speed limit there from 45 down to 25, and nobody's following that. The signs say 25 in the construction zone, but drivers aren't told where the construction zone begins or ends.

Caltrans is frankly doing a terrible job delineating exactly what's expected of drivers and where.

As a direct result, Malibu officials said Tuesday this confusion means they can't turn on the speed cameras for at least 30 days to actually send out warnings and, eventually, tickets.

The city announced it is doing a formal traffic speed study using a radar gun in eastern Malibu to evaluate the existing traffic speeds in the area.

State law requires speed limits to be set at the 85th percentile of a traffic speed area, and right now that means the speed limit would have to go up to 45 or maybe even more than that if the city is to use radar cameras to issue tickets.

Right now some of the cameras are functioning and they're issuing a flash warning if they see a vehicle go by at 11 mph or more above the speed limit.

These camera flashes, however, do not result in any action. That won't happen until the city gets its speed limits in order, and that's at least a month away.