About CamsAhead
Most of us pass cameras every day and never learn what one is for, what it keeps or who runs it. We built CamsAhead to help you answer that for your own neighborhood. Simply, and in plain view.
Cameras are part of the road now. Each one sees something, and some keep what they see.
A speed camera checks one moment against the posted limit. A plate reader keeps a record of every car that passes: its plate, the time and the place.
CamsAhead maps them: speed cameras, red light cameras, plate readers, traffic cameras and other enforcement cameras on the roads you drive. Each one shows what it is, what it does, who runs it where that's known, and what changed. CamsAhead isn't for or against the cameras; it is for you.
Facts from public lists and volunteer maps, dated, one tap away. Your location stays on your device. Independent, never ad-funded.
Read the manifesto: “Seen is fine. Remembered is different.”
Independent. Not affiliated with LADOT, Caltrans, Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions or any city or agency.
What we believe
Seen is fine. Remembered is different.
Cameras are part of the road now. Some check a moment. Some keep a record of every car that passes. The difference is the whole story.
How CamsAhead collects and checks the data
- Speed and red light cameras come from the lists of the cities that run them. CamsAhead copies each list, checks it against the source, and shows the date of that check. Where a city has no current list, public records fill in, marked unverified.
- Plate readers come from OpenStreetMap, where volunteers map cameras they see. Each point shows its maker tag, when it was first mapped, and whether anyone checked it on the ground.
- Traffic cameras come from Caltrans. CamsAhead lists where they are and links to Caltrans for the picture. It does not copy the images.
- CamsAhead shows posted speed limits only. The map and alerts never show the speed that starts a ticket.
What each count means, how each page is made and what the map can miss: How CamsAhead counts cameras.
Corrections
Spotted a camera that moved, a wrong status or a missing camera? Tap "Wrong or gone?" on the map, or write on the contact page. Corrections are logged with their date.
For plate readers, you can also fix the point on OpenStreetMap. The CamsAhead map picks up the change with the next snapshot.
Licenses
Plate reader data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. The CamsAhead plate reader data and change log use the same license, and a free copy goes to anyone who asks. Caltrans camera lists are CC BY. City lists are public records. Full details: sources.