At the December 9, 2020 Work Session, the Lawrenceville City Council is considering the installation of speed cameras in school zones surrounding five schools within the city limits. The City Council is also seeking input from the community on the use of these cameras and asks individuals to reach out to Mayor and Council to provide your comments before the meeting.
Programs of this kind are being implemented in cities throughout the state including local cities such as Norcross, Duluth, Snellville, and Lilburn. Studies from the National Highway Safety Administration and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association consistently show programs of this nature reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities within school zones. It is the goal of the City Council to maintain a safe community for its children, citizens and motorists.
After a speed study ordered by the Lawrenceville Police Department, it has been determined that the City of Lawrenceville has an issue with speeding in all school zones, with the worst conditions at Central Gwinnett High School. During the August 2020 speed study, the statistics are as follows:
• Lawrenceville Elementary (Gwinnett Dr.) – 74% AM & 89% PM of all drivers were 10+ mph over the speed limit
• Benefield Elementary (Old Norcross Hwy) – 21% AM & 82% PM of all drivers were 10+ mph over the speed limit
• Benefield Elementary (Riverside Dr.) – 46% AM & 64% PM of all drivers were 10+ mph over the speed limit
• Winn Holt Elementary (Old Snellville Hwy.) – 54% AM & 58% PM of all drivers were 10+ mph over the speed limit
• Central Gwinnett High School (W. Crogan St.) – 95% AM & 95% PM of all drivers were 10+ mph over the speed limit
“Our research has shown positive results and reception in other communities across the state, as much as a 75% overall reduction of speeding in school zones,” said City Manager Chuck Warbington. “Utilizing speed cameras also allows police officers to be more productive in other areas of the City, while still enforcing the law for the safety of our children and educators.”
The program will also include new signage and flashing digital speed signs to warn incoming traffic of school zone speed limits.
Individuals will only be citied who are traveling in excess of 10 mph over the speed limit. Violations are civil fines and do not add points to the license. Unpaid violations are handled through the Department of Revenue by prohibiting the renewal of a car tag or sale of the vehicle, rather than a bench warrant. The system would only operate during school sessions, not on the weekends or during the summer break or holidays.
