ATLANTA — An effort in the Georgia House of Representatives to repeal state law allowing school zone traffic cameras to catch speeders passed and is headed to the state senate for approval or rejection.
House Bill 225, sponsored by Rep. Dale Washburn, would completely ban speed cameras from school zones.
The bill passed its House floor vote 129 for, 37 against.
Speaking with Channel 2′s Richard Elliot while the bill was still working its way through the various House committees, Washburn said the cameras were being used to generate revenue from speeding tickets, rather than helping improve safety.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- Lawmaker who introduced bill to ban school zone cameras says they do nothing but rake in revenue
- Should they stay or should they go? Hearings start over competing bills over school cameras
- Georgia Rep. proposes new bill to ban traffic cameras in school zones
However, in areas like Decatur, city officials said the cameras have helped keep students safe.
Now, the bill will make its way to state senators for review, and possible passage.
Should it gain full approval and become law, every government or law enforcement office using a radar device, including on school campuses, would have to test their radar devices for accuracy and keep records of those test results at the beginning and end of each duty tour.
Additionally, radars that do not meet minimum accuracy requirements must be removed from service they’ve been recertified as accurate by a qualified technician.
Anyone who gets a speeding ticket based on speeds reported by a radar used by governments or law officers, they would also 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.
If senators do not make changes to the bill as it is currently written, and it passes with a majority in the Senate, it would head to Gov. Brian Kemp to approve or veto.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
