ATLANTA — A Georgia state representative is pushing to ban speed cameras in school zones and add oversight to departments that use them.
Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) filed legislation to remove and ban speed cameras, even as many school zones are putting that exact technology in place.
His legislation would reverse the law passed in 2018 which allows their use, and fines drivers caught going 11 miles or more over the listed speed limit in the school zones.
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In an interview with WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien, Washburn said the cameras are a money grab and a scam and that some jurisdictions are using the cameras to generate revenue, even outside of school hours.
Safety advocate Bob Dallas told WSB Radio that he hopes the cameras can stay, with some changes, instead of being banned outright. Dallas said those changes could include flashing lights in school zones.
According to Washburn’s legislation, House Bill 225, he’s aiming to take automated traffic enforcement safety devices out of school zones. The bill would also ban local governments or law enforcement agencies from entering or renewing contracts for using speed cameras in school zones.
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The bill also requires that every government or law enforcement office using a radar device, including on school campuses, has to test their radar devices for accuracy and keep records of the test results at the beginning and end of each duty tour. Tests have to be made in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Additionally, radars that do not meet minimum accuracy requirements must be removed from service and not used until after servicing, calibration and being recertified by a qualified technician.
If someone is cited or charged based on speeds reported by a radar used by governments or law officers, they will have the right to request the device is tested for accuracy and a citation or ticket issued against them must have time to request this test before it can be issued. If the test proves the device inaccurate, the bill would prevent tickets or citations from being issued against the driver in question.
Washburn’s bill also requires that stationary speed detection devices cannot be used by county, municipal, college or university law enforcement officers from vehicles where it’s not visible while in use at a distance of at least 500 feet.
The commissioner of public safety will also be able to suspend or revoke permits for agencies based on the ratio of speeding fines to an agency’s budget, when the speeding offenses revenue is at least 35% of a law enforcement agency’s budget.
Citations for excessive speed 20 miles per hour above the established limit will not be included in that calculation, according to HB 225′s provisions.
The bill also requires that use of speed limit enforcement through recorded images, civil monetary penalties and consequences for failing to pay those penalties are repealed and that no agency or government can enter a contract or renew one for using this technology in after the effective date of the bill.
The bill would also repeal that section by July 1, 2026, when the bill would take effect if signed into law by the governor.
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