School is starting soon, and with it come reminders from authorities to drivers in areas near schools. This is the case in Dalton, Georgia, where speeding has turned into accidents in school zones, prompting Sgt. David Saylors to urge drivers to exercise caution, whether they are in Dalton, Whitfield, or Catoosa. Since last March, surveillance cameras have been installed around Dalton High School and Roan Street Elementary School.
The speed limit in these areas is 30 mph, with fines of $100 for first-time offenders and $150 for repeat offenders. In the last 19 days of the school year, 4,847 speeding tickets were issued. According to AAA, the survival chances of a child hit by a car at 40 mph and at 20 mph are stark: one in ten and nine in ten, respectively. Authorities point to one of the biggest distractions while driving, the phone. They urge drivers to connect it to the car or, if not possible, to keep it stored where it cannot be a distraction.
School zones and speed limits
The areas surrounding schools and institutes become an absolute chaos during peak hours for students entering and leaving. Many parents drive their children to school, which makes the presence of traffic, cars, jams, and distractions a common occurrence. However, with the back-to-school season just around the corner, authorities are already starting to launch their awareness campaigns, mainly focusing on the speeding issues that occur in these areas.
Back to school in Dalton
Sgt. David Saylors, authority in Dalton, Georgia, has started to carry out his duties, reminding drivers that making a complete stop and avoiding distractions while driving can prevent more than one tragedy. However, if drivers choose to ignore the authorities, the consequences will be even worse. In addition to posing an accident risk, the areas around Dalton High School and Roan Street Elementary School have surveillance cameras that detect speeding.
How do these cameras work?
The road safety surveillance cameras were installed last March and operated until the school year ended. The number of citations in the last days of the term was 4,847 violations. Fines for those who exceed the maximum speed limit of the area – 30 mph – for the first time will be faced with a fine of $100. If, on the other hand, it is a repeat offender, the fine will be $150.
Saylors addressed the public with the following words: “We ask you to take a little more time, leave a little earlier, and slow down, no matter where you are – Dalton, Whitfield, Catoosa”, and added, “The lives of these children are precious, and your life is precious. Speeding can change your life and the lives of others in half a second”.
Consequences of speeding
In the case of school areas in Dalton, the maximum speed limit is 30 mph. Those drivers who exceed it by 10 mph or more will receive a letter in the mail with the corresponding fine. The American Automobile Association (AAA) reveals that the difference in survival odds for a child struck by a car going 40 mph versus 20 mph varies significantly. In the former case, it is said to be 1 in 10 chances, compared to 9 in 10 in the latter case. However, Saylors is not only asking for speed limits to be reduced and moderated, but also for all factors and objects that could distract the driver to be eliminated.
This is the case with mobile phones, which are often the main reason for distraction and cause accidents on the roads. Saylors claimed, ‘Put down your phones. Don’t text and drive, don’t try to eat and drive. Focus on driving, be careful, and be prepared to stop if a child is crossing, and be ready to come to a complete stop, […] It’s almost like a third hand. (People think) As soon as I hear that vibrating noise, and I hear that thing, I have to pick it up and I have to look at it.’