The City of Malibu is backing two California Senate bills with ambitions aimed at making Pacific Coast Highway safer for drivers and pedestrians.
The city council sent a letter to state officials last month advocating for a change in state vehicle code to prevent future incidents on the iconic stretch of road that winds through the Malibu coast. About 60 people have lost their lives in collisions on PCH since 2010.
Both bills, SB 1509 and SB 1297, address the chronic issue of speeding.
SB 1509 would make convictions for driving 26 miles per hour over the speed limit a two-point driver’s license violation on certain roads, including PCH, putting drivers at greater risk of losing their license with such convictions. The two-point penalty is on par with the sanction for a DUI or hit-and-run conviction.
“SB 1509 isn’t just a bill; it’s my pledge to my childhood home, Malibu,” said Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas) who authored the bill. “With each step as this bill moves forward in the legislative process, we’re honoring the lives lost on our roads, transforming tragedy into action.”
SB 1297 would also put as many as five speed camera systems on a 21-mile stretch of PCH.
The desperation for change comes amid a stretch of horrific and deadly crashes on the famous highway in recent months. Last October, four women who were students at Pepperdine were killed by a driver allegedly going faster than 100 mph on PCH.
In 2023, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued more than 7,500 speeding citations near the Malibu and PCH areas. The California Highway Patrol has issued more than 720 speeding tickets just this year.