Speed cameras in Ga. school zones raking in money. 100 lawmakers say no more

The Monroe County/Macon Reporter found that the 36 speed cameras in Macon-Bibb issued more than 73,000 citations in 2024 through November, according to records obtained by the newspaper. The citations carried $8.8 million in fines, but only $3.9 million were paid.

Atlanta News First reported that the cameras generated $112 million in revenue in 54 Georgia municipalities over about five years.

In Atlanta, 10 cameras yielded 41,700 citations in the three months after Sept. 18, 2023, the first day they were active. That’s $1.6 million in fines, the AJC reported. The cameras are used in the Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Henry and Cherokee school districts.

The cameras have been allowed since 2018. The law states that drivers can be cited for speeding only on a school day and only within an hour before or after the start or end of the school day. When detectors notice someone is speeding, a camera captures images of the license plate. A law enforcement officer is supposed to review the footage to see if there was a violation. If a driver was going more than 10 mph over the speed limit, a ticket is mailed to the car’s registered owner.

The fine for a first offense is $75 and $125 for each additional fine. A portion of it goes to the company that operates the cameras, and the rest goes to the municipality to use for public safety initiatives. The law was originally passed with backing from American Traffic Solutions, an Arizona-based company that installs and operates such cameras. The company contributed to the campaigns of several of the lawmakers involved.

“Do we want to keep kids safe? Absolutely,” said Barry Babb, the sheriff of Fayette County south of Atlanta, when the law was passed. “But you want to be careful it doesn’t become a revenue machine.”

That’s what Washburn says is happening. He’s heard from constituents who said tickets are being issued outside of the permissible locations or hours.

Two Thomasville drivers have made similar allegations against RedSpeed Georgia LLC, one of several providers of the detection devices that’s based in Gwinnett County. The two men were ticketed near schools in South Georgia, but say the company put the cameras on a four-lane highway rather than near the entrance of the schools. They’re suing the company.

“The true purpose … was not based on an actual need and desire to protect school children as they came to or from those schools,” the complaint filed in January stated. “Instead, the use of such devices was for the purpose of operating a speed trap and thereby generating revenue.”

The company has until March to respond to the complaint. If lawmakers vote to repeal the law, the Gwinnett case would likely go on, said Emily Ward, an attorney representing the plaintiffs.

“I’m hearing from a lot of representatives and a lot of senators who are really angry about this,” Washburn said. “So I’m continuing to push forward and I believe a ban is the best solution.”