Three schools in Neptune Beach will soon have speed zone cameras posted near them “to increase driver awareness of the impacts of speed-related crashes in school and work zones,” according to police.
Set for Beaches Chapel Christian School, Neptune Beach Elementary School and Fletcher High School, the cameras will monitor and send warnings to speeding drivers from late February through early April before citations start being issued.
The Neptune Beach Police Department first proposed the camera use about a year ago. The Neptune Beach City Council approved the automated cameras last March.
“Photo enforced” signs will be placed under speed limit signs near the schools to alert drivers. The fine will be $100 if a driver is caught going at least 10 mph over the speed limit, which is 15 mph in a school zone. (A speeding ticket from a police officer in a school zone is a $340 fine.)
The cameras will operate about 30 minutes before and after school, indicated by flashing lights in the school zone. They will be shut off on weekends, holiday breaks and during summer vacation, police said.
The cameras will be located:
- Eastbound and westbound on Florida Boulevard at Neptune Beach Elementary School
- Eastbound and westbound on Florida Boulevard at Beaches Chapel Christian School
- Westbound on Seagate Avenue at Fletcher High School
The camera system reads license plates, and tickets will be issued via mail after officers review the incident. Tickets will include an image of the license plate.
The registered owner of the vehicle tag that gets ticketed can request a hearing to challenge an automated speed enforcement violation within 30 days, police said. Ticketed drivers can pay the fine at onlinecitationpayment.com, a site that’s not active yet.
“The cameras would catch only speeders, not drivers running red lights or any other traffic violations,” a police department Facebook post said. “The tickets would not affect someone’s insurance, and no points would be issued on someone’s license.”
Police said that driving too fast is one of the biggest factors contributing to traffic crashes, with almost one-third of all fatal crashes speeding-related.