- Speed cameras are coming to two Valdosta area schools.
- The cameras follow a study that revealed multiple cases of people driving too fast while children were in the area.
- Watch the video above to see where the cameras are going and how high fines can go for violations.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
WG Nunn Elementary is right by one of the busiest intersections in Valdosta, and now cameras are being installed to catch speeders.
I’m Malia Thomas, your neighborhood reporter in Valdosta, and I’m speaking with local parents about the need for these cameras in my neighborhood.
"They just cut in front of people." This is Kymberlee Sanders. "They don't care if you see somebody walking across, they still go, and it's crazy out here like we're in Florida or Jersey or something."
She's the parent living within the Valdosta City School system.
She tells me that despite the fees, the new safety cameras have been a long time coming because of the reckless driving she's seen in the East Park neighborhood.
"They don't see it; they just drive fast... because see I know for a fact a kid almost got ran over last week because of the fact that somebody wasn't watching, and they catch an attitude but it's like...you're the one driving."
A traffic study report conducted by the Valdosta Police Department confirms what she sees.
VPD did a traffic camera study of WG Nunn and Pinevale Elementary in October 2022.
They found Pinevale had an average of 238 children crossing in a day with 129 speeding violations recorded. W.G. Nunn had an average of 150 children crossing per day with 114 speeding violations recorded.
Speeds went as high as 65 mph, more than 20 miles per hour higher than East Park's 45 mph.
VPD sent me a statement saying quote: "By driving safely and following the posted speed limit we can share their students arrive to school and return home safely."
To curb any more violations, citations will notify police when the speed limit is exceeded by 11 miles per hour during school hours. Your first offense is $75. Every other offense is $125 with a $5 processing fee.
Kym tells me no one in the community should have a problem with that... nor speed.
"The same way you feel about your kids you should feel about other people's kids too there's no reason why you care about your kid but you don't care about nobody else kid so we want to be on board."
Citations for speeding will officially begin on April 25th. I’m Malia Thomas, in Valdosta, reporting for ABC27.
