School Zone Speed Limits, Cameras Resume Aug. 6th
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
It's almost time for kids to go back to school in Dalton which means school zone speed limits will soon be going back into effect. That also means that the school zone speed cameras in the Dalton High School and Roan Street Elementary School zones will begin to operate again during student drop-off and pick-up hours. School zone speed limits and speed camera enforcement will both go back into effect on Wednesday, August 6th, the first day of school.
The speed cameras will be operational only during the morning and afternoon pick-up/drop-off periods on days when schools are in session and the school zone speed limits are in effect with the speed limit signs flashing. In the Dalton High School zone, they will operate from 6:31 am-7:30 am and from 2:16 pm-3:15 pm. In the Roan Street School zone, they will operate from 7:31 am-8:30 am and from 3:26 pm-4:25 pm. The school zone speed limit in both zones is 30 miles per hour. Citations will be issued to motorists driving at 10+ miles per hour over the limit.
Caption: A sign in the Dalton High School zone warns drivers that the school zone speed limit is enforced by a camera system
The speed cameras began operating on March 24th, 2025 with a 30-day grace period in which speeders were only sent warnings instead of monetary citations. The system then issued citations during the 19 school days from April 29th until the last day of school on May 23rd. There were 8,481 warnings issued during the 30-day grace period. There were 4,847 citations issued. Those numbers show a decrease in the number of speeding vehicles in the two school zones when compared to a speed study conducted in August 2023. That study detected 7,779 speeding violations in the two school zones during just one 5-day period, suggesting that the presence of the speed cameras has had an impact.
Statistics provided by AAA show that a child struck by a vehicle traveling 40 MPH only has a one in 10 chance of survival. However, if the vehicle is traveling at 20 MPH, research suggests that same child has a nine in 10 chance of survival. That's why it's vital to cut down on speeding in school zones. Speeding is also a primary contributing factor in motor vehicle crashes resulting in personal injury and deaths. The goal of this school zone speed camera program is to increase safety for students, teachers, and parents as well as the driving public traveling in the Dalton High School and Roan Street Elementary School zones. School zones are clearly marked with posted speed limit signs as well as signs advising motorists that speed limits are enforced with cameras. Zones will also have flashing lights and additional road signs to capture a vehicle’s speed and give advance warning to the driver of the upcoming school zone.
Motorists that exceed the posted school zone speed limit at 10+ MPH will receive a citation in the mail. These citations are civil in nature, carry a $100 fee for the first offense ($75 fine plus a $25 processing charge), but do not come with points against a driver's license or insurance penalties. The second and subsequent violations carry a $150 fee ($125 fine plus a $25 processing) but similarly do not incur points on a driver's license or insurance penalties. Each violation detected by the camera system is reviewed by an officer from the Dalton Police Department's Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) before a citation is issued.
For more information on the school zone speed cameras, visit daltonga.gov/schoolzone.
