New speed cameras have recently been installed in school zones in Tallahassee, Florida.
In their first month of operation, they issued fines totaling over $300 thousand.
Another 23 such cameras are planned to be installed by the end of the year.
Although speed cameras are always controversial, in this case they have proven to be extremely effective. Just two devices near schools brought the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue. In just over a month, more than 3 thousand violations were recorded, totaling $318 thousand.
In fact, all these fines were issued from March 28 to May 2. On each day when schools were in session, the cameras recorded an average of 132 violations. Each driver received a $100 fine, bringing the city approximately $13,200 daily. Not a bad result for two small devices.
Interestingly, not all of this money remains in the local budget. $21 from each fine goes to the company servicing the cameras. The remaining funds are distributed among various municipal and state programs. Officials promised to first cover the costs of the system itself, and only then allocate funds to other needs.
Another 23 cameras are planned to be installed by the end of the year. If the trend continues, the new devices could record up to 40 thousand violations per month, bringing the budget about $1.5 million monthly or $18.6 million annually. The message to drivers is clear: slow down or pay.
“In the long term, this system will become an important tool for preventing dangerous driving near schools, which can threaten the lives of children, teachers, or crossing guards,” said Major Jeff Magoon. His words have grounds — all recorded violations involved drivers who exceeded the speed limit by at least 18 km/h.
During school hours, the limit is usually 25-30 km/h, so drivers who were going faster than 50 km/h automatically received fines. Among the recorded violators was even one who was moving at a speed of 117 km/h. Perhaps in such cases, a $100 fine is an insufficient punishment.