Verra Mobility recently conducted another comprehensive speed study in Clay County, Florida, which uncovered some alarming patterns of dangerous driving behaviors in school zones.

This study follows a similar one conducted in November of last year, where nearly 10,000 speeding violations were captured in Jacksonville, Fla.

Shocking Results from Three-Day Study

The three-day study looked at 12 local schools and picked up over 6,000 potential speeding violations. 

The school zones where the highest risk was identified include Ridgeview High School, St. Johns Classic Academy, and Doctors Inlet Elementary School. These locations accounted for 4,108 of the potential speed violations.

Some alarming stats from the study include:

• 2,148 vehicles caught traveling more than 20 mph over the posted school zone speed limit

• 551 vehicles recorded traveling 60+ mph in school zones

• 36 vehicles recorded at speeds exceeding 70 mph

Even when flashing beacons clearly signaling reduced speed requirements, drivers continued to put children at risk. 

Raising Awareness of the Issue

Randall Crawford, director of transportation at Clay County Schools, and a 2025 Trailblazer, was one of those that participated in the study. “Our district is currently in the initial stages of implementing school zone speed cameras in various locations throughout our district,” he said. “In conjunction with the school bus stop arm cameras, both our district and the county are taking these initiatives very seriously. In the upcoming days, we will be launching a campaign aimed at educating our stakeholders about these measures and the associated consequences for violations of the law. We remain hopeful that the introduction of these two measures will significantly enhance the safety of students within Clay County District Schools.”

With children’s safety at risk, these speeding statistics are shocking. Every vehicle speeding through a school zone is a potential tragedy waiting to happen.

Verra Mobility stated that it is “committed to developing and implementing automated safety technology that helps communities protect their most vulnerable road users.” 

With speed detection and enforcement solutions designed to create safer environments for students, parents, and educators, it hopes to address the issue.

Raising awareness of the problem is the first step toward prevention, and everyone must work together to address this safety issue.