Osceola County Commissioners vote to install speed cameras in school zones

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — You’ll want to rethink speeding through school zones in Osceola County now.

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County commissioners voted Monday afternoon to install speed detection systems in school zones.

Commissioner Brandon Arrington said the county is in the early stages of planning. The county does not have a timeline for when these cameras will go up. Arrington says the county also doesn’t know which schools—if not all of them— the cameras will be installed at.

However, a county study identified 16 areas with “heightened safety risk” among 14 schools where cameras are recommended.

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Of the over 65,000 cars that passed through monitored school zones, 63% of drivers were speeding, the study says.

Some drivers in these areas were found going over 70 mph in a 20 during school hours.

“We’re trying to utilize every resource we have in front of us to make our roads safe,” Arrington says.

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The speed detection system would operate like red light cameras.

It will detect a vehicle’s speed using radar and capture a picture or video of its tag.

If the driver goes 11 mph or more over the speed limit, speeders will be fined $100 per violation.

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“We don’t want to give tickets to anybody. We want people to comply and be safe for all the roadways so our kids are safe,” Arrington said.

The commission’s decision came after Florida House Bill 657 took effect on July 1. The law allows municipalities to put cameras in school zones to fine drivers going more than ten mph over the posted speed limit.

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