SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is pleased to announce the launch of Seattle’s first school zone speed safety cameras programs. Beginning on December 10, the Seattle Police Department will begin using speed safety cameras at four school locations to better enforce school zone speed limits.
Violations in the amount of $189 will be issued to the registered owner of any vehicle captured on camera exceeding the 20 mph school zone speed limit while the yellow beacons are flashing.
“Safety is our top priority, especially in school zones,” said Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. “This project will not only reduce speeding, but we’re also able to make our neighborhood streets safer than they were before.”
“This is about safety for kids and their parents in school zones. Motorists need to slow down and obey the posted speed limits. This technology will encourage safer driving habits and prevent collisions,” said Chief John Diaz of the Seattle Police Department.
“American Traffic Solutions is honored to have the opportunity to work with the city of Seattle on this important public safety initiative,” said ATS President and CEO Jim Tuton. “The goal of this program is the same as any road safety camera program, and that is to change driver behavior for the safety of all people using the public streets.”
Speeding kills and not just on highways. In 2010, speed-related crashes killed 175 people in Washington. In Seattle, speeding was a factor in 42 percent of fatalities from 2006 through 2010. Children are especially vulnerable. A pedestrian struck by a car at 20 mph has a 90 percent chance of survival, but the survival rate drops to 50 percent at 30 mph.
For the month of November through Nov. 27, more than 5,700 warnings have been issued from the four school zone locations. The speed safety cameras are in place at the following schools and active during the times listed:
Olympic View Elementary School, 8:35-9:35 a.m. and 3:20-4:20 p.m.Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, 7:45-9:45 a.m. and 3:30-5:10 p.m.Broadview-Thompson Elementary School, 7:10-9:35 a.m. and 3:20-4:20 p.m.Gatewood Elementary School, 7:55-8:55 a.m. and 2:35-3:35 p.m.
ATS already provides school zone speed cameras to eight other Washington cities, and the programs thus far have been very successful. In Federal Way, for instance, speed violation decreased 57.9 percent in the Panther Lake Elementary School zone in the program’s first five months of operation. In Issaquah, violations decreased 46.3 percent in a year to year comparison of nine-month time periods at Issaquah High School. Both results exceed findings in a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that found fixed speed enforcement measures can reduce collisions by 20 to 25 percent and reduce speeds significantly.
ATS has more than 2,900 installed red-light and speed safety cameras serving more than 30 million people. Its customers include New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and more. ATS is a privately-owned, U.S. corporation. For more information about PlatePass® and other ATS offerings, please visit: www.platepass.com orwww.atsol.com.
