Duluth’s school zone speed cameras are once again helping local police ticket speeders, the department said.
The cameras were approved in June 2019 and installed in three school zones: Mason Elementary School, Chattahoochee Elementary School and Coleman Middle School. They began operating during the 2019-2020 school year, and are back online as of Sept. 28. They only operate when school is in session, and got a later start than usual after Gwinnett County Public Schools phased in students’ return to classrooms.
The cameras alert the Duluth Police Department of any vehicle recorded going 15 mph or more over the speed limit during specific “school zone times” on weekdays. School zone speed limits are 20 mph in Georgia, and are usually in effect during school hours or time periods when students and parents are arriving at or leaving school buildings. Those times are from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. for both elementary schools and 7:15 to 9:30 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. for Coleman Middle School. There are flashing lights outside both elementary schools indicating when the speed cameras are operational, the Duluth Police Department said.
Once an officer reviews the video, a ticket is mailed to the person to whom the car is registered. First-time offenses carry a $75 fine, and repeat offenders can be fined up to $125. Compared to those given when a driver is pulled over by an officer, the tickets issued through speed cameras typically carry lighter fines and do not put points on a driver’s license.
The cameras are operated by Illinois company RedSpeed, which installs the devices for free and gets 35% of the profit from each ticket. The city gets the remaining 65% and must use it on public safety projects. RedSpeed cameras have also been approved and installed in Norcross, Snellville and Lilburn. Lilburn’s cameras have been operational since January, monitoring the school zone surrounding Arcado Elementary School.
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