Speed Cameras Will Catch You At 10 New School Zones in Tampa

Starting August 11, Tampa will turn on speed cameras near 10 schools, the first automated speed enforcement under Florida House Bill 657. These cameras will catch speeders during school hours.

Drivers won't get fined right away. For 30 days, they'll just get warning letters in the mail. After September 10, anyone going more than 10 mph over the speed limit will get slapped with $100 fines.

"When drivers ignore speed limits in school zones, they put lives at risk," said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw to WTSP.

The cameras start working 30 minutes before school starts and keep going through breakfast, classes, and 30 minutes after the last bell. There's a quick two-minute grace period at the start of each monitoring period. The cameras won't run during school breaks and holidays.

When they tested the system at Riverview High School, they caught 1,700 speeders - all got warnings instead of tickets. Tampa police check every violation before sending out any tickets.

Ten schools made the first cut: Alexander Elementary, B.T. Washington Elementary, Ferrell Girls Preparatory Academy, Orange Grove Middle Magnet, Potter Elementary, Shaw Elementary, Sulphur Springs Elementary, Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary, Young Middle Magnet and Lomax Elementary.

The city picked these schools by looking at crash numbers, traffic patterns, and how many students attend. Shore and West Tampa elementary schools will get cameras later.

While the tickets won't show up on driving records, you'll need to pay through Verra Mobility's website. If you don't pay, you might face extra charges or get a real traffic ticket after a month.

After the state passed this law, nearby Bradenton and Lake Alfred started similar programs. Like Tampa, they only run their cameras during school hours.