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yesterday

Savannah Area Cities Split Over School‑Zone Speed Cameras

House Bill 651 requires relicensing, accuracy testing, a formal complaint process and voter approval by 2027, forcing local governments to choose whether to operate, pause or end automated school‑zone enforcement.

A speed camera is set to record the license plate on vehicles speeding through the school zone at Georgetown Elementary on King George Boulevard.
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Overview

  • Savannah and Chatham County police have reactivated school‑zone cameras for the new school year and begun a short warning period before they issue citations, with camera operations scheduled around school hours.
  • The Chatham County Police Department says its cameras cut speeding in monitored school zones by roughly 95% to 96% and reported a drop from 3,620 to 20 speeding events at one elementary school after installation.
  • Garden City has discontinued its automated program and ended its vendor contract, choosing to rely on officers using lidar and radar for school‑time speed enforcement instead of cameras.
  • The City of Guyton has paused activation of cameras at Guyton Elementary while officials review the program under the new law and evaluate long‑term options for the community.
  • Under HB 651 penalties apply only when drivers exceed the limit by more than 10 mph, fines are set at $75 for a first violation and $125 for subsequent violations plus processing fees, violations are civil and existing programs must win voter approval by July 1, 2027.