LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s almost back to school in Central Florida. A new legislation that went into effect over the summer is allowing Florida counties or municipalities to enforce speed limits in school zones through a speed detection system.

What You Need To Know

  • Eustis Police in Lake County are soon implementing speed cameras in certain school zones, being the first in Central Florida.

  • The speed cameras will only be on during school hours, during the school year. The new program is getting attention not only within the Eustis community, but the Lake County area.

  • The program is funded by the driver's speeding and going 13 miles per hour over the speed limit, meaning zero-cost to the taxpayers.

  • This program will also have a human element, as an officer will look through all ticketed footage to determine if that driver was speeding.

This new program affects anyone on the road. Eustis Police, in Lake County, are soon implementing speed cameras in certain school zones, being the first in Central Florida. They told Spectrum News this is all to encourage better driving on the road, especially when kids are involved.

“The number one reason is to save lives. These school zones, our kids go there. Parents are counting on us to protect their kids. Speeding is prevalent. We all make mistakes and speed I get it. But there is a zero tolerance speeding in a school zone,” Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri.

Eustis Police is working alongside the Florida Department of Transportation on the exact date the speed cameras are being implemented. The speed cameras will only be on during school hours, during the school year. The new program is getting attention not only within the Eustis community, but the Lake County area.

One Lake County crossing guard, who is excited to hear Eustis implement this new program, hopes South Lake County roads see something similar.

Rocking neon may not be for all, but for Jonette Dreger it’s about keeping kids safe.

“When I wanted to get back to work, I was looking for something that was still challenging physically, but not hurting me physically,” said Dreger. 

Dreger has been in education for 15 years. After the pandemic, she became a crossing guard for Lake County, looking out for the kids and parents on their way to and from school.

“It’s not just the school buses, please keep an eye out for them, but please keep an eye out for the walkers,” said Dreger.

She always keeps her head is on a swivel, as she’s looking out for everyone.

“I have parent and children walkers coming down from this direction. I have them coming from behind me, I have them coming from across, and I have parents who have already walked down coming back,” said Dreger.

Dreger not only looks out for pedestrians, but for speeders. That’s why Eustis Police hopes to cut down on roadway speeding this school year by implementing new speed cameras in school zones. Something Dreger hopes spreads to South Lake schools as well.

As the new school year begins, she hopes the entire county implements speed cameras in school zones to not only cut down on speeding, but to protect the pedestrians.

Eustis Police said once they implement the program, there’ll be a 30-day grace period before tickets are handed out. The program is funded by the driver’s speeding going 13 miles per hour over the speed limit, meaning zero-cost to the taxpayers. This program will also have a human element. An officer will go through all ticketed footage, to determine if that driver was speeding.