Charlotte County drivers face $100 fines for speeding in school zones

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (WINK)—Charlotte County school zone speed cameras are now issuing $100 tickets to drivers caught speeding. 

Drivers caught going more than 10 mph over the speed limit will trigger the cameras. 

The grace period has ended, and the $100 violation will be sent by mail within three days. Enforcement began with cameras installed at nine schools across the county.

The elementary schools with cameras are Deep Creek, Liberty, Neil Armstrong, and Peace River. The middle schools are L.A. Ainger, Murdock, and Port Charlotte, and the two high schools are Lemon Bay and Port Charlotte. Five more elementary schools in the county will be added at a later date.

The cameras photograph a car's license plate if it is traveling too fast in a school zone. They operate 30 minutes before school breakfast programs until 30 minutes after school starts, and 30 minutes before dismissal until 30 minutes after school ends.

WINK News spoke with Charlotte County parents and grandparents, hoping the cameras reinforce safety on the roads.

"Safety is everything. We've heard of accidents at the beginning of school, even through a car lane. Kids dropping something and accidentally running over their kid. Speeding can be that factor where somebody's child gets hurt or killed," Ashley Pitcher said.

"I was excited because of the different speed zones that are going through. I'm always telling people to slow down, and living right here by Deep Creek school, we see it a lot," Tammy Noto said.

Since each school has a different start and end time, the specific times the cameras will be active will be posted in each school zone. Drivers who receive a violation can either pay it, submit an affidavit explaining an exception to liability, or request a hearing.