School zone speed cameras reactivation date announced by Chatham County PD

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - According to the Chatham County Police Department, school zone speed cameras will be reactivated next Monday, August 4th, the start of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools academic year.

Chatham County Police said these cameras activate 45 minutes before school starts, stay on throughout the school day, and remain active until 30 minutes after school dismisses.

They say these cameras are only operational during school days, they are not activated on holidays, weekends, or any other time students are out of school.

There are multiple measures in place to alert drivers of cameras and school speed zones.

The Chatham County Police Department said some of these measures include: traditional school zone signage, signs warning drivers that speed detection cameras are in use and flashing signs that show drivers their current speed. They also said the Waze app lets drivers know when they are getting close to a school zone speed camera area.

“We’re doing everything we can to make drivers aware that they are in a school zone, and to remind them to slow down,” said Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley. “The safety of kids walking and biking to and from school should be every motorists’ top priority. The few seconds you may save by speeding through a school zone are not worth the risk of potentially hurting or killing a child.”

The Chatham County Police Department said school zone cameras captured 31,154 speeding violations in CCPD’s jurisdiction of unincorporated Chatham County during the 2024-2025 school year.

“That’s an average of 173 motorists speeding by 11 miles per hour or more in a school zone every school day,” wrote the police department in a press release.

Drivers will not get a citation unless they are going 11 miles or over the speed limit in a school zone, per state law.

There are two exceptions to camera activation.

The school zone cameras will not activate in the St. James private school zone until August 7 and in the St. Andrews private school zone until August 13. Those are the first day of classes for those respective schools.

Chatham County PD also shared that speed cameras will not be on this school year in the Georgetown K-8 zone, because students will not be on that campus due to a renovation project.

Click here for a complete list of Chatham County Police Department school zone speed camera locations and times of operation for each school.

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