Charlotte County commissioners unanimously approved to add school speed zones cameras to 17 schools Tuesday.
You will get a $100 ticket if you go 10 miles over the speed limit.
Taylor Cellemare, who sends her son to a Charlotte County public school, thinks this will make him and other students safer.
"I see so many kids on their way to school, and you would not believe the amount that you see just passing by, not paying attention, not letting them across," Cellamare said. "I think just really enforcing it makes them realize this is serious. We have to go slow down."
RedSpeed is the company installing the cameras. They also did Cape Coral’s school speed zone cameras. County Commissioner Bill Truex brought up that Cape Coral had some malfunctions; however, he said these issues were not initiated by RedSpeed.
Through the contract, the county will have to maintain a school zone calendar. It has to notify RedSpeed of any changes, like a short day. If it does not let them know, the company can charge the county $5 for any citations given at those times.
Law enforcement has to sign off on everyone who will review and approve citations. Also, RedSpeed has to do comprehensive training for county representatives involved in the operation system.
"I'm just really worried about something happening because that's, that generally is the problem is the cameras get activated when they shouldn't get activated," said Christopher Constance, a Charlotte County commissioner. "People get tagged, and then we have an uproar."
County leaders said they have a four-person group that will stay in constant communication with RedSpeed.
"People deal with it with tolls every day, so it's really no different," Cellamare said. "Whereas, we're dealing with children walking to school versus a toll. To me, I think it's a lot more to try and go for, just because it's about keeping our kids safe."
Claudette Smith with Charlotte County Public Schools said, "we fully support this important initiative and believe it will play a key role in protecting our students. While we were not involved in selecting the vendor or setting the implementation timeline, we’re thankful for the county’s commitment to creating a safer environment for our schools."
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