By Cindy Peterson
Leesburg to Add School Zone Speeding Cameras
Leesburg city officials have greenlit an initiative aimed at enhancing safety in school zones. In a unanimous decision, the city commissioners approved a resolution endorsing a partnership with Altumint Inc., a traffic safety technology company, to deploy advanced speed enforcement measures.
Police Chief Robert Hicks spearheaded the initiative, committing to safeguarding the well-being of Leesburg’s students. He said he was impressed by the success stories from Eustis, where these cameras have yielded substantial decreases in traffic violations, Chief Hicks asked for proactive steps to address speeding concerns in local school zones.
The agenda item read: “The program was developed in partnership with Altumint, an industry leader in traffic safety technology. Florida is ranked as the third-worst state for pedestrian traffic fatalities, according to a Florida Road Safety Report, and speed cameras have been shown to reduce traffic incidents. Cameras would solely target speeders, not drivers running red lights or committing other traffic infractions, who would then receive notice of their violation and pending fines by mail. The notices must be sent within 30 days of the violation and include a photo or recorded image showing the license plate of the vehicle, the date, time and location of the violation, and the top speed the vehicle was traveling at within the school zone.”
Commissioner Alan Reisman also expressed concern over the instances of speeding, particularly by large vehicles, observed within Leesburg’s school zones.
“I drive through two of our school zones daily, and I am floored by the amount of people who don’t adhere to the school zone speed limits,” Alan says. “In doing this, we hope to help bring extra awareness when entering our school zones because our kids are worth it.”
As part of the resolution, Leesburg plans to strategically deploy speed cameras across all school zones by the upcoming academic year. There will be signs to alert drivers. During an initial 30-day grace period, warning tickets will be issued to speed violators. Drivers exceeding the school zone speed limit by 11 miles per hour or more will face fines of $100 per violation.
Altumint Inc.’s speed enforcement program is funded entirely through violator fines, with zero financial burden on taxpayers.
Originally from the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, Cindy has become a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography, and video editing. She has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine's Sports Hub Podcast and the Healthy Living Podcast. She also produces for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy loves traveling the National Parks with her husband , Ryan, and son, David, photographing wildlife.
