State lawmaker updates efforts to change school zone camera laws in Georgia

October 19th, 2023

Traffic light cameras are bolted onto a metal post beside a Fulton County road. (Rahul Bali/WABE)

Georgians have been voicing a range of complaints about automated traffic enforcement cameras used in school zones.

A reform effort during this year’s General Assembly stalled, but that has not deterred the bill’s sponsor.

Speaking at Tuesday’s joint meeting of the MARTOC and House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committees, Republican State Representative J. Collins of Villa Rica says one common complaint they want to address is tickets issued well outside school hours.

“We wanted to put some things into the code and codify the exact times that these cameras can be utilized. We’re talking about 60 minutes prior to and 30 minutes after the official start time, and 30 minutes prior to and 60 minutes after the official dismissal time, where the speeding has to be 10 mph over the limit.”

Collins also wants to mandate flashing lights in active school speed zones, clear signage and tickets that come with a court date for someone to challenge it.

Some of the other issues brought up by lawmakers and witnesses who testified during Tuesday’s hearing included whether cameras should operate in the middle of the school day as some students could be arriving later in the day or leaving early.

Questions were also asked about clarifying the law over who is responsible for a ticket. The car owner or the driver of the car at the time of the ticket.

Collins, who chairs the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, pushed back on those who want the cameras to go away.

“We need police officers to be patrolling our streets to make our community safer. They respond to a lot of calls. This is a way that we can slow down that traffic in school zones and free up law enforcement to do other things, more important things.”

Collins also noted opposition to making any changes to the current laws.

“The camera companies have a tremendous lobby down here, and they’ve been putting up a fight in resisting, some change to, to this legislation because they’re making a tremendous amount of money.”

Collins says part of the issue is the perception that automated traffic enforcement cameras are about revenue and not safety.

During the 2023 legislative session, Georgia House Bill 348 passed the State House 168-0 and passed out of a State Senate committee with changes but did not get a vote in the Senate.