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New school zone speed cameras in Lakeland
Lakeland officials are rolling out new school zone speed cameras starting Monday.
What we know:
LAKELAND, Fla. - Lakeland officials are rolling out new school zone speed cameras in an effort to curb speeding and prevent serious crashes involving students.
The move follows a tragic string of incidents across Polk County. In the 2023-24 school year, 13 students were killed after they were struck by vehicles while getting to and from school.
City leaders say the new enforcement is designed to slow drivers down in areas where children are most vulnerable.
The cameras will begin operating next week as students return from winter break. They will only issue citations when school zone flashing lights are active and a driver is traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
What they're saying:
Lakeland Traffic Operations Manager Tess Schwartz said the numbers show an urgent need for action.
"In Polk County, over 20 students were struck by vehicles walking to and from school last school year. That’s unacceptable, and we want to make sure that Lakeland students are safe," Schwartz said.
According to Lakeland police, a month-long traffic study in the city's school zones showed about 850 speeding violations occurring each day.
Officials say those findings, combined with the recent deadly crashes, pushed the city to move forward with automated enforcement.
Where will cameras be located?
The school zone speed cameras will be stationed outside the following schools:
- Lincoln Academy
- Crystal Lake Elementary and Crystal Lake Middle School
- Dixieland Elementary
- Lakeland High School
- Lakeland Highlands Middle School
- North Lakeland Elementary
- Sleepy Hill Elementary
- Southwest Elementary and Southwest Middle School
What's next:
Drivers will receive warnings through the end of January as the city rolls out the program.
Beginning in February, anyone caught speeding in a school zone by the cameras will receive a $100 citation.
The Source: Information for this article came from the City of Lakeland, Lakeland Police Department traffic studies, and an interview with Lakeland Traffic Operations Manager Tess Schwartz.