MACON, Ga. — Starting Jan. 4, six new speed limit cameras around Bibb County schools will be activated to slow down drivers during school hours.
However, some people say they're confused about the hours of operation for the cameras already enforcing the speed.
One Macon man says he's already received over $600 in school zone traffic tickets, and he's looking for clarification.
Jeffery Skinner is a registered travel nurse in Macon. He has a patient who lives around the corner from Northeast High School in East Macon.
His question is: Can you get a ticket even if the crossing lights aren't flashing?
Skinner said the lights weren't flashing and the kids either weren't in school or outside, so he went the normal speed limit. However, the same camera got him four times.
"It's this one camera that I've got four different citations from," Skinner said. "The sign says it all. 25 mph when lights are flashing and the lights weren't flashing."
Now, he's trying to figure out whether the flashing lights are a real factor and even received two tickets when school was out during fall break.
"It simply says when the lights are flashing," Skinner said. "This ticket was recorded at 12:24 p.m. which most of the school crossing lights aren't flashing at 12:24 p.m. This one was at 10 and 11 in the morning."
According to Macon-Bibb County, the flashing lights in a school zone only indicate the reduced limit around the beginning and end of school.
The cameras are to enforce the reduced speed limit and the regular speed limit in the middle of the day.
"The school zone speeding cameras are absolutely a necessity," Skinner said. "I think for our children crossing these crosswalk zones, I just think they're great. But, if the lights are flashing, go 25 mph. I think that's what most citizens in Macon would assume, that's certainly what I assumed."
For Skinner, he was going 10 to 20 miles above the 25 miles per hour limit. He says he was aware of the limit and tries to slow down.
However, he finds the signs misleading and plans to contest the tickets.
"I just think there needs to be some clarity. I think the citizens need to know that maybe you can be ticketed even when the lights aren't flashing," he said.
According to Macon-Bibb County, for high schools within the school district, camera enforcement is from 6:30 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.