Florida Bill Would Install Ticket Cameras Near School Zones

Idiots need to be reminded to slow down, especially around kids.

I agree. But again I personally feel that sometimes folks aren't thinking (not necessarily that they're not smart enough to do the right thing), so here in PA, I'm all for stop arm cams on school buses. Why? Because otherwise, the so called school bus reds are at the discretion of a human i.e. driver, and the consequences are suspension of license. A driver can at the last minute open the door--suddenly, a car is passing because it went from 4 ways to red just like that. The stop arm can say oh when the lights activated, the car was already overtaking the bus.

But agreed the school zone is not a moving target, only the hours are. If we know it's July 4, or December 25, imho it's perfectly ok to go through a school zone at 35 mph.

Things need to make sense, and overall, slowing people down when school is in session does make sense.

I asked a former state trooper about flashing school zones lights on during an obvious time when school is not in session. If the lights are flashing you have to do the limit the flashing lights require, 15 mph here in PA, regardless of school not being in session. He also said the cop would have to be real d*ck to write you for speeding in that situation, but he could.

I don't have an issue with this. People drive like major a-holes here in Florida and it gets worse and worse.

Sounds like they have a personal problem. You should never 'stop thinking' when in control of a 3-6000 lb. vehicle.

Don't make excuses for people's behaviour.

I like the way it is done in my area in Texas. When school lets out a cop running radar goes back and forth from one end of the school zone to the other and pulls those ignoring the flashing speed limit sign. We have ISD cops that do primarily that when school is in session. Also seen a lot pulled over for using a cellphone in a school zone. Unfortunately some people just don't get it and need help (ticket) in understanding.

Personal problem? that's odd

You weren't the cop when I got caught speeding 52 in a 25 in my own neighborhood. I had my wife and father in-law telling me hurry up he's late for the airport.

And to put it in perspective, the road with a 25 mph speed limit would be a 55 mph speed limit in SoCal.

The cop who pulled me over told me do not send this in guilty you will be assessed 5 points with 6 being suspension--send it in not guilty and we will be lenient. He used the word lenient 2X.

I went to court and they changed it to a non moving violation--I checked my DL record 1 year later, and as they stated, no points on the record.

I learned my lesson.

And there is a such thing as being unaware and not thinking. That's why with the construction zone speed cams PA gives the said registration one free pass.

Excuse? No. Explanation? Yes. We're all human beings.

I'm not for the upon first violation $540 like it was in Calif. I am for the upon first violation $40 like it was in MD, or $0 in PA. The idea is to get folks to slow down and gain awareness.

my .02

One that comes to memory is near the Tacony Palmyra bridge in Phila. On a school day, people were going easily 40 through the school zone. I slowed to 15 and people were honking at me. I thought, huh, maybe school is out today? So I checked online when I got home, no, it was in session.

We have to make informed decisions--because same will happen with a school bus--some people honk, even when reds are flashing, because they feel the bus is taking too long.

I drive a school bus. Honk at me and you will find out what a long wait is.

If I am weird, I don't think so, but I give sanitation vehicles plenty of room, and will not pass unless it's clearly safe.

I've had people lay in on the horn then pass from behind me, when I'm the vehicle directly behind the garbage truck. Those guys are township workers and just doing their jobs. Why get so upset. and with school buses, it's safety.

The trooper said technically you can get a ticket for speeding in an active school zone (lights flashing) even if school is not open, but it's rare that it would happen, the cop would have to be a real hard ass.

One time I was driving on Lindbergh Blvd in Philadelphia, at this point is was one lane in each direction but is wide enough for two in each direction. I was going about 20 mph in an active 15 mph lights flashing school zone and a school bus passed me on the right.

Another time I was stopped at a RR crossing, arms were down lights were flashing, one of those half sized school busses went around the arms to cross the tracks. I've seen this more than once at this crossing. It's a freight train crossing and the arms do come down well in advance of the train, but if they are down no one should be crossing.

I've seen school buses blow stop signs and red lights.

Each time I've noted the school district, if it was on the side, and for the private school buses and have contacted the school and or company the bus belonged to. No idea if my complaint ever went anywhere but the busses around here are some of the worst I've ever seen.

I drive a 73,000 pound truck for a living so I'm on the road all over and have many opportunities to see this behavior.

I jsut want to tell you, as you have noted, Bus Drivers are notorious for school zone speeding and doing stupid stuff because they thing the cops won't stop the.

There's also a "Simpsons" stereotype.

Remember my garbage truck example above? One of the offenders that honked and passed was in fact a 35' school bus. That made me so angry I took down the plate and reported it. that was before I had a dash cam or I would have inclueded the video file. that's why I ask, would you rather give a school bus driver the ability to suspend your license by reporting you? Or would you rather it be done by a stop arm camera, which only reports what really happened?

Yellow school buses blowing lights is rampant in W Phila, I can tell everyone that. That's why I always have the cam on, even if I need to pass a bus who has 4 ways on--because they turn to red with no notice at all. There should be a mandatory yellow phase, then to red.

To paint a realistic picture as well? My son's school bus driver is very nice, I assume long retired. But ever since covid my wife drives him...

p.s. Lindbergh Blvd. my wife once worked in that plaza. As employees, they WERE NOT ALLOWED to walk their cars alone, it had to be 2 at a time per policy. They could not walk to the supermarket. This was 10 years ago. Maybe it's better now, maybe it isn't. And that area had some of the earlier rlcs in Phila. And imagine, 2011 is when we bought our brand new GM SUV. She didn't want to take it to work, preferred to drive the 1998 Nissan.

Think of the children!!!!

99.9% of these speed cameras are for revenue and revenue alone. Look at all the red light & speed cameras in and around chicago. In the memo not disclosed to the public, underlying reason is revenue, not safety.

Except in Maryland where the school zone cameras operate on holidays and during the summer when school is not in session.
Mark

I'm in MD the locals don't like me, as soon as I see photo enforced I slow down to below the limit by at least 1-2 mph. Seems locals know where the cam is permanently installed and speed until they get there. But again if the fine is $40 or whatever it is, mistakes aren't as costly as CA when they were $540.

I'm all for school zone cameras with the amt of people that don't care or even pay attention in these areas.

Yes I do know that they are just a revenue cash cow but it still will remind people when they get dinged.

with the need for school zone restrictions.

PA having mandatory suspensions of DL, if convicted of passing a school bus when lights are red, yet people do it anyway, I'm pretty sure that there is a lot of ignorance on what the penalty actually is. There are even people who stop on the opposite direction, when there is a concrete barrier between them and the bus, the flip side.

Because I asked a PO in my town, what's the penalty for passing a school bus when it happened to me. He said, nothing, just a $100 fine (he was making it up).

Again, what happened to me was I was in W Phila waiting patiently for a school bus who had nothing on. People behind me were upset and went around me. Finally I go, the bus honks at me, and I see reds are now on.

It should be physically impossible for a bus' lights to go from nothing to red. Should be a mandatory yellow buffer--too much human error.

In a school zone, it's an inanimate fixed zone. So yes to cams.

Not only a suspension ....

In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to pass a school bus when its red lights are flashing and stop arm is extended. If convicted of breaking this law, you could get a $250 fine, five points on your driving record, and a 60-day suspension of your license."

My case was something out of the Simpsons or a sitcom. I was waiting and waiting while others went around us. Once I decide to go, after maybe 2 minutes, the red lights go on. I know, tell it to the judge. Where did this happen one says? On N 53rd St. as it becomes Parkside. I was upset as the bus driver honked at me. I googled and it said if the bus driver honked, that means you're getting your license taken away. Well, I didn't, and I really had no intention of blowing the reds. The bus was sitting there for almost 2 minutes, no indicators, and me behind. I shoulda passed 2 min prior like everyone else did.

Again, in my mind, the bus should be there with flashers. The bus driver then checks, and puts on yellows when he sees it's clear, then reds. Not nothing to reds. Last I checked, I flunked my fortune teller/mind reader class.