Chatham County school zone speed cameras won’t restart on first day of school, police announce

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - School zone speed cameras in Chatham County will not restart on the first day of school this year.

The Chatham County Police Department announced they will not restart its school zone speed cameras on the first day of school this year so that they can be brought into compliance with a new state law that took effect July 1, 2026.

See our sister-station in Atlanta’s reporting on the new law below:

“School Zone Speed Cameras have reduced overall speeding in our school zones by 96%, and we value them as a crucial safety device,” said Chatham County Police Chief Jeff Hadley. “However, new state laws require us to re-license the cameras through the Georgia Department of Transportation, and that multi-step process will take time. The Chatham County Police Department always operates within the parameters of the law, and School Zone Speed Cameras are no exception.”

Police said there is no timeline for when the relicensing process will be completed. Once the process is completed and the cameras are ready to be restarted, the Chatham County Police Department will give the public a notice.

What drivers should know

While the process is underway, CCPD Chief Hadley is urging drivers to be vigilant in school zones.

“This is the first time since 2020 that we have started a school year without these cameras in place in our jurisdiction,” said Hadley. “Before the cameras were installed, speed studies were done in each school zone. At May Howard Elementary, for example, the study found 3,620 vehicles sped through the school zone during a five-day period. When the study was conducted this year, only 20 people sped through that same school zone in a five-day period. The thought of us going back to those pre-School Zone Speed Camera numbers is harrowing.”

Hadley says drivers should pay attention to signage, obey crossing guards, be mindful of children walking and riding bikes to and from school, and be prepared to slow down as they approach school zones.

“We know that a child hit by a vehicle traveling 40 miles per hour only has a one in ten chance of surviving their injuries,” said Hadley. “If the speed of a vehicle is reduced to 20 miles per hour, the chances of that child surviving are nine in ten. That statistic alone should make every driver slow down to ensure the safety of children on their way to and from school.”

Chatham County Police Department officers said they will still ticket any drivers they detect speeding in the school zones.