New research from the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research demonstrates how automated school zone speed safety programs changed driver behavior and significantly reduced speeding violations.
Independent research gives communities valuable evidence
When communities evaluate school zone speed safety programs, one question consistently comes up:
Do these programs actually change driver behavior?
A new independent study from the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) helps answer that question.
Funded by the Florida Department of Transportation, researchers evaluated Verra Mobility-operated school zone speed safety programs in the City of St. Cloud and Osceola County to measure how drivers responded before cameras were activated, during Florida’s required warning period, and after citation enforcement began.
The findings were significant.
What researchers found
Across 18 school zone speed cameras:
- Speeding violations declined by 97%
- Warning notices alone reduced violations by 93%
- Severe speeding declined from 74% to 45%
- Many individual school zones experienced reductions exceeding 95%
Perhaps most notable was how quickly driver behavior changed.
Most of the improvement occurred during Florida’s required warning period, before citations were issued. This suggests that education, awareness, and visible enforcement work together to encourage safer driving around schools.
Why this matters
Transportation leaders are increasingly looking for objective evidence when evaluating roadway safety programs.
This study demonstrates that thoughtfully implemented school zone speed safety programs can influence driver behavior quickly and consistently, even across communities with different operating models.
Researchers also noted that one participating school reported an anecdotal 90% reduction in crashes following implementation, highlighting the potential long-term safety benefits associated with reducing vehicle speeds near schools.
Download the complete case study
Our new case study summarizes the University of South Florida research and highlights the results from participating Florida communities.
Download the Florida School Zone Speed Safety Case Study to explore the findings and learn how data-driven safety programs are helping communities encourage safer driving around schools.