A new piece of legislation could mean big changes for drivers in Georgia. House Bill 225, introduced this month, seeks to ban school zone speeding cameras statewide. Supporters argue the cameras haven’t worked as intended, while critics say they unfairly target drivers and fail to fund school safety as originally promised.
Lawmakers Challenge the Effectiveness of Speed Cameras
Savannah State Representative Ron Stephens is one of the bill’s sponsors. He was also involved in passing the original 2018 law that allowed the cameras in the first place. Now, he says the program hasn’t delivered the results lawmakers expected.
“A few years ago, we allowed for cameras to go in schools to slow folks down,” Stephens said. “They have not worked the way that we anticipated.”
The cameras were installed to reduce speeding in school zones, but many drivers claim they’ve become a hassle. Complaints have piled up, with some drivers arguing they were unfairly ticketed despite following the speed limit.
Drivers Express Frustration Over Fines
For years, Georgia residents have voiced concerns over how the cameras operate. Many say they’ve been fined unfairly, even when following the posted speed limits.
Mellanie Ferguson, a Chatham County driver and parent, is one of them.
“I’m a habitual one mile over violator, and I have had several of them,” Ferguson said. “It’s a nuisance. I love the idea of it, but it’s to the point now where the very last one wasn’t even sent to my house, and they suspended my registration. I had to pay that before I could get my registration back in my car.”
According to Georgia’s 2018 law, fines should only apply to drivers going more than 10 miles per hour over the school zone limit. Fines are also supposed to be issued only during school hours or within an hour before and after.
But some drivers claim they received tickets outside of those timeframes. Amanda Mills, another Chatham County driver, said she was ticketed even though she was driving the legal speed limit.
“It was in the afternoon, like 6 p.m. to be honest with you, and it said I was speeding 35,” Mills said. “I was doing the actual speed limit, but it caught me for the school zone time.”
Where Do the Fines Actually Go?
When the speed camera law passed in 2018, it included a key provision: all fines collected were supposed to fund school safety improvements. But according to Rep. Stephens, that hasn’t happened.
“You put these school zone cameras in place, and the revenue goes back to the taxing authority,” Stephens said. “That’s the county or the city. Schools don’t get one dime of that to upgrade their safety.”
This revelation has only fueled more criticism of the program. If schools aren’t benefiting from the money, some lawmakers argue the system is simply acting as a revenue generator rather than a safety measure.
What Happens Next?
House Bill 225 has yet to be voted on, but it has gained attention in the state legislature. If passed by the state house, the bill will move to the state senate for consideration.
Whether the bill gains enough support to pass remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the debate over school zone cameras in Georgia is far from over.
