NEW ORLEANS — Starting August 2, school zone cameras will be reactivated.
The city of New Orleans announced Friday that school zone cameras and warning lights will be activated for the next few weeks as the new school year starts Monday.
The city said the zones are a safety focus for New Orleans and that the automated photo enforcement program is one component of the City’s efforts to reduce speeding and increase safety in the streets.
" Speed is fundamentally linked to safety, with higher speeds increasing the likelihood of crashes and increasing the severity of crashes. A person hit by a car traveling 35 mph is five times more likely to be killed than by a car traveling at 20 mph," said the City of New Orleans.
There are several ways speeding can contribute to crashes:
- Crashes at higher speeds create more force and are therefore more likely to be fatal
- Drivers traveling at higher speeds have a narrower field of vision
- Drivers traveling at higher speeds travel further before they can react
- Vehicles traveling at higher speeds have longer braking distances
Drivers can expect a speed limit enforcement of 20 MPH during the school zone hours of 7- 9 a.m. and 2:45 - 4:45 p.m. The city wants to remind drivers to carefully observe speed limits and be cautious in school zones by not using cell phones and stopping for children that are crossing the street.