The Georgia Department of Transportation is proposing changes to state rules governing automated speed detection cameras in school zones, and the public has until Monday to submit comments on the proposed amendments.

Georgia DOT has announced its intention to amend several sections of Chapter 672-20 of Georgia’s rules and regulations, which governs the permitting of Automated Traffic Enforcement Safety Devices in school zones.

The devices use cameras and speed-detection technology to record vehicles traveling above the posted speed limit in marked school zones. Under Georgia’s existing permitting system, a school or, in the case of a public school, the school system must obtain a permit from Georgia DOT before an automated traffic enforcement device can be placed within a school zone.

The rules address more than simply where a camera can be installed. They establish requirements for applications, operation and maintenance of the equipment, record keeping, school-zone signs and flashers, and circumstances under which a permit can be changed or canceled.

For a permit application, documentation can include the proposed camera location, traffic information showing the number and speed of vehicles at the location, identification of schools within the school zone, proof that necessary property rights and permissions have been obtained and written approval from the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Permit holders are also responsible for operating and maintaining the devices and maintaining required school-zone signage and flashers. Calibration tests and performance records required under state law must be maintained and made available to Georgia DOT.

Georgia DOT can also cancel a permit under certain circumstances, including when a school relocates, a school zone is changed or removed, a speed-detection permit is revoked or expires, equipment isn’t properly maintained, or the permit holder fails to comply with applicable requirements.

The proposed amendments are significant because automated school-zone enforcement programs have become increasingly common in Georgia communities in recent years. Georgia DOT says the purpose of allowing the devices is to improve safety in school zones by reducing vehicle speeds and giving motorists and schoolchildren additional time to recognize and react to potential hazards.

Public comments on the proposed changes must be received by Georgia DOT no later than 5 PM Monday, September 21. Comments may be submitted electronically to RuleComments@dot.ga.gov or mailed to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Office of Legal Services in Atlanta.

Following the public-comment period, the State Transportation Board is scheduled to consider final action on the amended rules at its October 15 meeting.

The proposed changes involve school-zone speed enforcement cameras and are separate from Georgia DOT’s permitting rules for automated license plate readers, which are devices used by law enforcement agencies to capture license-plate information along state highways and interstates.