Manatee school zone cameras have already caught 3,500 speeding violations, officials say

Two weeks after students returned to school in Manatee County, authorities have already given more than 3,500 warnings to drivers caught on camera speeding in school zones.

The cameras went up over summer break in school zones throughout the county. After the 30-day grace period ends on Sept. 11, drivers will get a $100 ticket for going more than 10 miles over the posted speed limit in school zones.

“No one likes to get a ticket,” district spokesman Mike Barber said. “That’s why people automatically slow down when they see a police car or a sheriff’s vehicle. I think the addition of these cameras and the reduced speed zones, once they become a part of the culture of the community, people will automatically slow down when they get near our schools.”

The new RedSpeed cameras will be active 30 minutes before the school day starts, throughout the school day and 30 minutes after the school day ends. The cameras will take a photo and record the speed of a vehicle going more than 10 miles over the posted speed limit in school zones.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office will review every violation before drivers get a ticket in the mail, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.

“There will be signs that will notify people that they’re entering a photo-enforced school zone. These signs are very visible,” Jodie Fiske, Manatee County Government’s director of Public Safety, said in an educational video about the cameras . “They’re going to be before the school zone so you’ll know before you enter the area.”

No points will go on their driver’s license, according to a previous news release.

For more information, visit www.MyManatee.org/speedcams .

Sign Up for Local Breaking News