RedSpeed cams in front of Midway officially up and running

As of the Georgia Department of Transporation's last tally, the stretch of US 441 South near the new Midway school sees an average of 5,100 vehicles per day pass by, which should offer some very fertile ground for the new RedSpeed safety cameras that became operational this morning. 

The cameras, which document speeders during school hours, are now in the 30-day "warning phase," during which time speeders will receive a warning letter in the mail. Oct. 15, meanwhile, will mark the beginning of the "enforcement phase," when citations will begin being mailed out instead of warnings. The cost for a first citation this school year has risen from $75 to $80, while each additional citation is $125.

There are two "school zone" blinking lights in the area that will activate during school hours, as well as a pair of "school safety zone speed limit enforced" road signs.

Here is the RedSpeed enforcement schedule for school days in front of Midway, with the first number representing the "posted" speed limit and the second number the "trigger" speed. Anything at or above the "trigger speed" equals a ticket in the mail.

For those who may not be completely familiar with the RedSpeed program, here is some more information in nifty question-and-answer form:

• QUESTION: What does the Milledgeville Police Department and Baldwin County Sheriff's Office get out of it?
• ANSWER: The revenue split is 65 percent for the MPD and BCSO and 35 percent for RedSpeed. RedSpeed is the company that handles all of the equipment and operations. The revenue for law enforcement “can only be spent on new police equipment or for school safety programs and initiatives."
• QUESTION: Will a citation impact my driver’s license?
• ANSWER: The RedSpeed citations will not cause drivers “to lose points on their licenses." “It’s simply a civil summons against the owner of the vehicle,” MPD Chief Dray Swicord said.
• QUESTION: So, why pay the ticket if it doesn't take points off of my license?
• ANSWER: Although drivers and vehicle owners will not lose their licenses for refusing to pay any RedSpeed tickets, they won’t be able to renew their vehicle tags at the Tax Commissioner’s Office, Swicord said.
• QUESTION: What if someone else was driving my car?
• ANSWER: The speeding citation/summons will be issued against the owner of the vehicle caught on camera and not the actual driver. So, if a family member or someone else was borrowing your car and was caught speeding on camera, “that’s up for the vehicle owner and whoever else was involved to figure out how to pay,” said Swicord.

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