MACON, Ga. — According to Macon-Bibb County, 15 school-zone speed cameras are enforced an hour before the school day starts and an hour after the school day starts.
Representative Robert Dickey says he is concerned about school safety and the student's safety but the cameras aren't as useful as they should be.
"These school cameras are put up at places that are not really helping our children. Buses are taking children to school and letting them off at the door and parents are driving very few or walking and even in some schools, none of them have walking and school cameras have just become a vehicle for local authorities to to get revenue," Dickey said.
Dickey is a sponsor of the bill. If the bill passes, the cameras in school zones will be eliminated. Dickey told 13WMAZ there was a Senate bill that would also eliminate companies who supply the cameras from making a profit.
He said he's heard stories about drivers who didn't see the warning light on and got a ticket or got ticketed in a school zone over the weekend, and got their tickets a month after the violation. Dickey calls those cameras a money grab for law enforcement.
On November 14, Logan Ramey got two tickets from the Bibb County Sheriff's Office. The violation was for going 36 miles per hour (mph) in a 25 mph on Upper River Road in Macon near Northeast High School and Appling Middle School. He said he normally doesn't come to Macon and was unfamiliar with the signage and didn't see a sign either. He has a suggestion.
"How about nice flashing strobes on those signs to let you know when you're actively going over the speed limit," Ramey said.
He was making a righthand turn onto Upper River Road from Crestview Drive. He says he missed the sign that lights up and the regular 25 mph speed limit sign.
He's frustrated because both tickets were considered past due.
Ramey moved and the initial tickets weren't delivered to his new address. Ramey said he went to get his address changed before getting those tickets and was confused about why they were considered late when he didn't know about them initially.
Dickey has an idea if the bill doesn't pass.
"One idea I had is to take the money, these fines and let us put it toward resource officers in the school that would protect our children," Dickey said.
The cameras on Upper River Road are on during the school day. The regular speed limit is also 25 mph on the road. Ramey also questions if the cameras are a way to save lives or just a money grab.