School Zone Cameras for Your Protection

School has been back in session for a couple of months now, which has led to many questions about the RedSpeed School Zone Cameras. First and foremost, this system is in place to keep our children and school employees safe. The Canton Police Department began utilizing the RedSpeed system in August 2021. They currently have three zones operating in the city.

On August 5, 2020, an initial speed study was conducted by RedSpeed on Canton's East Main Street between 6:00am-5:00pm. A total of 1,286 violations were recorded during this study.

The schools provide their calendars and times to RedSpeed, and the cameras are programmed accordingly. The flashing yellow lights are also supposed to be synchronized with these times. RedSpeed systems are only installed in school zones and operate exclusively during school hours as permitted by law (O.C.G.A. 40-14-18).

Hasty ES Zone Times and Speeds, 
Monday-Friday
6:35-7:00am = 40 MPH
7:01-7:59am = 25 MPH
8:00am-1:44pm = 40 MPH
1:45-2:44pm = 25 MPH
2:45pm = Normal posted speed limit

Cherokee HS and Teasley MS Zone Times and Speeds, Monday-Friday
7:35-8:00am = 45 MPH
8:01-9:00am = 35 MPH
9:01am-2:59pm = 45 MPH
3:00-4:00pm = 35 MPH
4:01pm = Normal posted speed limit

When a violation is recorded, RedSpeed reviews the incident and determines the vehicle owner's information. A sworn officer must then review the violation to ensure it meets the following criteria:
The vehicle was exceeding the speed limit by more than 11 MPH.
The vehicle owner is correctly identified.
The vehicle in the information matches the vehicle in the video.

If the information is accurate, the officer approves the violation, which is then processed through the system.

There was a 10.08% decrease in accepted violations from 2022 to 2023. There were 24,528 violations in 2022 and 22,054 violations in 2023. Notably, penalties in the Teasley MS zone began on May 10, 2023, with the warning period starting on April 10, 2023.

Violations issued by RedSpeed result in a "Notice of Speed Violation" (a civil penalty), whereas violations issued by an officer would result in a "Uniform Traffic Citation" (UTC), which is criminal in nature. RedSpeed treats all speeding violations equally, whether a driver is 11 MPH or 50 MPH over the limit. Violations through RedSpeed do not affect a driver's history, insurance premiums, or result in points being assessed. They are not considered moving violations.

By law, the court can only dismiss a citation if the vehicle owner can testify that they were not the driver/operator of the vehicle at the time of the violation, the vehicle owner can submit a notarized statement declaring they were not the driver, or the vehicle owner can submit a certified copy of a police report stating that the vehicle was stolen before the violation can be submitted.

Special thanks to City of Canton Police Chief Marty Ferrell for providing this information.