Florida Signs Enforcement of School Zone Speed

NovoaGlobal School Zone Technology Now Available 

NovoaGlobal, a leading Photo Enforcement company and the only Florida-based with national headquarters in Orlando, Florida, is pleased to announce Governor DeSantis signed into law HB657: Enforcement of School Zone Speed Limits allowing communities to install photo enforcement in school zones to enforce unlawful speed violations.

We have a big stake in this new law. As Floridians, these are our children, too. Our state has a shameful record for pedestrian safety and speeding. With this new law, we can turn things around.  We like to work with Mayors, City Council Members, City Managers, and Law Enforcement to implement this Law and, with your help, we can make our state safer for children. 

We don’t have to tell you speed limits are critical to public safety on the roads. Lower speeds help prevent crashes and reduce the severity of injuries when crashes do occur. For example, a person hit by a car traveling at 40 mph has little chance of surviving, while someone hit by a car traveling at 20 mph may only suffer minor injuries. Slower roads save lives.

NovoaGlobal is the only Florida-based photo enforcement company in North America. We employ Florida residents as operators for ticket processing, printing, and mailing; Hardware/software and field technicians for system assembly, testing, installation, and maintenance. Citations are postmarked from Florida, which is important to citizens and the success of your school zone speed safety program. 

About the Bill

1. Authorizes county or municipality to enforce speed limit in school zone through speed detection system;
2. Requires DOT to establish specifications;
3. Requires notice to public;
4. Requires law enforcement agency to administer School Crossing Guard Recruitment & Retention Program;
5. Provides for issuance of traffic citations by traffic infraction enforcement officer;
6. Provides notification requirements & procedures;
7. Provides photographs or video & evidence of speed are admissible in proceedings;
8. Requires reports;
9. Requires law enforcement agency to maintain log & perform tests of speed detection systems;
10. Provides penalty for speed limit violation in school zone;
11. Prohibits points from being imposed against driver license;
12. Prohibits infractions from being used to set insurance rates.

Summary of HB 657 — Enforcement of School Zone Speed Limits

The bill authorizes a county or municipality to place or install, or contract with a vendor to place or install, an automated speed detection system on a street or highway under its jurisdiction or a state road if permitted by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The system may only be used to enforce speed limits in school zones within 30 minutes before a regularly scheduled breakfast program or school session, during the entirety of a regularly scheduled school session, and within 30 minutes after the end of a regularly scheduled school session. The bill:

• Defines the term “speed detection system” and requires a county or municipality to enact an ordinance authorizing the placement or installation of speed detection systems and to make a determination that the location of such system warrants additional enforcement.
• Requires signage warning motorists that speed detection systems are in use.
• Requires a 30-day public awareness campaign prior to commencing enforcement of school zone speed limits with speed detection systems.
• Requires the governing body of a county or municipality operating such system to hold public meetings regarding system provider contracts and data reported to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV).
• Creates a School Crossing Guard Recruitment and Retention Program, funded through retention of $5 from each citation enforced through school zone speed detection systems.
• Requires speed detection systems to be installed according to FDOT specifications.
• Provides requirements for issuing a notice of violation or a uniform traffic citation.
• Establishes a $100 penalty for each violation and provides for the distribution of the proceeds to state and local government, including $60 from each citation for the local government to administer the speed detection system and other public safety initiatives and $12 from each citation for county school districts, to be shared proportionately with charter schools, for school security initiatives, student transportation, or improve student walking conditions.
• Provides defenses for persons who receive a notice of violation or uniform traffic citation and procedures for hearings regarding violations.
• Provides requirements for the retention and destruction of data obtained from speed detection systems.
• Requires annual reporting by counties and municipalities that implement speed detection system programs in school zones and requires an annual summary report by DHSMV.
• Exempts speed detection systems from DHSMV’s requirements for radar or lidar units, while requiring a speed detection system to perform self-tests as to its detection accuracy.
• Prohibits points being imposed for a violation if unlawful speed in a school zone enforced by a speed detection system and prohibits such violations from being used for purposes of setting motor vehicle insurance rates.

Let’s Get Started!

Sounds like a lot? This is what NovoaGlobal does every day for the past 13 years. NovoaGlobal is ready to implement a school zone speed safety program to help our Florida children stay safe. We’ll walk you through the process and help you get set up. As a Florida-based company, we’re familiar with Florida law and procedures. We have a vested interest – it’s our children we’re protecting! This is how we’ll work together:

1. Guidance for Best Practices
2. Help Conduct traffic studies 
3. Provide information to create Ordinance
4. Install and Implement the Speed Detection Enforcement Systems
5. Set up Processing of Violations
6. Train Law Enforcement, Clerks of Courts
7. Help Create Reports for the State
8. Provide Public Awareness
9. Provide maintenance and support of systems, including logs and equipment testing
10. Process mailings postmarked from Florida 
11. Provide Bilingual Customer Service