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Speed cameras activated near 21 schools in Orange County
Thousands of students, parents and teachers are preparing for the first day of school in Orange County, with new speed cameras now active near 21 Orlando schools.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Thousands of students, parents and teachers are preparing for the first day of school in Orange County on Tuesday.
Greeting them will be new speed cameras now active near 21 Orlando schools.
What they're saying:
The city activated the cameras as part of an effort to reduce speeding and improve safety in school zones.
"I think the school cams are great because we often see a lot of cars speeding in the area," parent Angela Garcia said.
Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose, who represents District 5, said the camera locations were selected after a traffic study identified the areas as high-risk.
"When we think about the places where we are placing the cameras, they are in high injury networks, which means there are crashes and fatalities," Rose said. "And our number one goal is safety."
The cameras use radar to detect vehicles traveling more than 10 mph above the posted speed limit. They operate during designated periods before, during and after the school day.
Drivers will initially receive warnings during a 45-day grace period that runs through Sept. 24.
"The first 45 days will be a warning period, and then after that, there will be citations," Rose said. "We just want to keep our kids safe."
By the numbers:
After the warning period ends, drivers caught speeding by the cameras could face a $100 citation mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Orange County Public Schools and the Orange County Sheriff's Office.