Tampa latest to embrace new technology to enforce school zone speed limits and curb dangerous speeding

The Tampa City Council has voted to support the expansion of school zone safety cameras in school zones, backing a proven, data-driven approach to keep students safe from dangerous driving.

This marks the 48th local government in Florida to deploy RedSpeed USA cameras since the Legislature authorized the use of such equipment in 2023.

School zone speeding cameras are an essential safety mechanism to keep kids safe, especially given the increasing threat of pedestrian injury from speeding vehicles. Florida ranks second in the nation for the highest number of pedestrian accidents, and pedestrian fatalities have risen 58% between 2013 and 2023.

Law enforcement officers have praised RedSpeed cameras as an effective tool to prevent speeding and keep communities around schools safe without increasing the burden on the limited resources of law enforcement agencies.

In a January meeting of the Senate Transportation Committee, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Colonel Nikki Bosley testified to the critical role that the technology plays in preventing catastrophic crashes and extending law enforcement resources.

“These systems don’t replace deputies. They extend our eyes. A single deputy cannot sit at 29 school zones every single day. Cameras allow us to enforce consistently, deter speeding 24/7, free deputies to respond to emergency situations and keep school zones safe when staffing is strained,” Bosley said.

“Every parent in this county sends their child to school, trusting that they will come home safely. When someone is driving 80 plus miles per hour through a school zone, that is no longer a traffic violation. It’s a lethal threat. Stopping even one tragedy is worth it. But our program is doing far more than that. It is reshaping driver behavior countywide.”

Data backs up that assessment. Fewer than 10% of drivers cited by school zone cameras become repeat offenders, indicating that the system effectively deters future violations.

In school zones where cameras have been installed, drivers who exceed the posted speed limit by at least 11 miles per hour will receive a notice of violation through the mail.  Each violation is reviewed by a law enforcement traffic infraction enforcement officer before a notice is issued, and no points are assessed against a driver’s license.

Revenue generated from each $100 violation is directly invested into public safety and education. The revenue from each $100 violation is invested in schools and public safety, with $60 to local government for public safety, a portion of which covers the technology, installation, verification of offending and public awareness efforts around school zone cameras. No part of the program is funded by taxpayers, only violators.

The remaining revenue is divided as follows: $20 to state general fund, $12 to enhance safety of local schools, $3 to train members at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and $5 to recruit and retain school crossing guards.