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A Florida bill could allow cities to install cameras to combat speeding in school zones

Posted at 10:59 PM, Oct 26, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-27 09:08:07-04

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A long line of traffic backs up outside of Trafalgar Middle School. Lines of parents wait to pick up their kids while the open road is just to their left. Parents see drivers speeding to avoid traffic all the time.

House Bill 189 could solve the speeding problem, but parents had mixed reviews.

"It will probably be a good idea because there is a lot of people that be speeding out here, so I mean, that will probably be the best thing," Jarvis Minor, a parent, said. "It will be the best thing to help them out."

The state representative behind the idea wants a law that puts cameras in school zones, records violators and then sends them a ticket in the mail.

"In a way that folks will remember and often time if hit to their pocketbook can certainly be something they keep in mind. Be more much cognisant about," Rep. Nick Duran (D-Miami) said.

Not all parents agree the cameras are a good idea. After all, they said there are plenty of warnings to do the right thing. Some said this is about changing drivers' attitudes, not habits.

"I think it is going to be people. Cameras are going to cause a little more issue. We got a lot of protection as is," Lisa Vigil, a parent, said.

Having enough police officers to put outside of schools might not be practical. That's why the bill's supporters want the cameras.

"It is not a got you program. This is about how do we calm down the traffic and those who drive through school safety zones," Rep. Duran said.

The idea of cameras in school zones still has a long way to go before it becomes state law.