A recent study of school zones in Jacksonville has uncovered nearly 10,000 potential speeding violations at just 11 schools over a three-day period, raising concerns about the safety of children during school hours. Conducted by Verra Mobility, a company specializing in traffic safety technologies, the study highlights the prevalence of unsafe driving behaviors in areas meant to prioritize student safety.
The analysis recorded vehicles exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 miles per hour during enforceable school hours. Among the findings, Ford Elementary School reported over 3,000 potential violations, which accounted for 43% of all morning drop-off traffic. More than 80 of those vehicles were observed traveling at least 30 mph over the posted limit. This school has a little more than 600 students enrolled, which suggests that there are nearly five speeding violations for every student enrolled.
These findings coincide with survey results from Sachs Media, which polled Floridians about their views on school zone and school bus safety. While the majority of respondents expressed concerns about dangerous driving, only 35% knew that the maximum speed limit in school zones is 20 mph. The survey also revealed that despite 88% of Floridians being aware that drivers must stop for a school bus with its stop arm extended, 58% reported seeing drivers fail to comply within the past year.
According to the survey, there is strong public support for safety enforcement measures. A large majority of Floridians back the use of cameras to protect children, with 87% in favor of cameras on school buses to enforce stop-arm laws and 80% supporting the use of cameras in school zones to catch speeding drivers.
“This study highlights where there are some serious safety issues,” said David Dorfman, senior vice president at Verra Mobility. “The overwhelming number of violations points to widespread dangerous driving behaviors in school zones. We want to give officials data that can help address this critical issue and better protect Jacksonville’s children.”
Verra Mobility has advocated for the adoption of safety cameras in school zones and on school buses, citing data from its existing programs that show significant reductions in violations. During the 2023-2024 school year, the company’s school zone programs reported a 25% reduction in speeding citations, with some areas seeing decreases of up to 70%.
While no formal plans have been announced, the findings add to ongoing discussions about the use of automated enforcement technologies to improve safety near Jacksonville schools.
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