VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — This week Portsmouth school zone speed cameras officially launched.
Portsmouth joined other areas around Hampton Roads that use speed cameras as a part of traffic enforcement. The cameras are allowed under a 2020 Virginia law that lets localities decide to use the technology to monitor school and work zones. Now, some lawmakers are pushing to expand speed camera coverage.
It's no question that Hampton Roads drivers have places to be.
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Speed cameras in use in Portsmouth school zones; December citations forgiven
"Sometimes you get some [drivers] that are going 90 miles per hour and they scare you to death, and they're going in and out of traffic, but for the most part it's not bad," said Virginia Beach resident Rick McDaniel about the traffic in the area.
The roads aren't always bad, but what happens when folks go too fast?
"Yeah, yeah, we saw an accident yesterday," said Virginia Beach resident Steve Snyder. "It was pretty bad."
Snyder lives off of Shore Drive, where many residents have voiced their concerns over speeders.
"The speed limit is 35 miles per hour right here and people go way above that," said Snyder.
That area has a speed radar that shows drivers frequently flying by, but there's no speed camera at that location.
Watch previous coverage: Speed cameras in use in Portsmouth school zones; December citations forgiven
But many Hampton Roads have noticed speed cameras in other areas.
"Off of Battlefield Boulevard in the school zone out there...." explained Chesapeake resident Scott Williams. He said his family member had gotten tickets.
Tickets from the cameras are a big topic of discussion among drivers. No one wants to be stuck with a $100 fine.
"As far as I'm concerned, I don't like the fact that they're monitoring you, and you don't know it, but will it slow you down and make things safer, yes I believe it will," said McDaniel. "We've gone through [a speed camera-monitored zone] and had a ticket in an area on 58 and they said, 'you gotta slow down through here everybody's talking about it, you have to slow down through here.' It is a construction zone. You should slow down. It is what it is."
Most residents said they just want to make sure they know where the cameras are located.
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Some lawmakers want more options for where to put cameras.
"No one deserves to die while they're walking, while they're biking," said Del. elect Mike Jones, D-Richmond. "I know that our [current high-injury areas] may not run through a school zone or a construction zone. So, we want to be able to put cameras where we believe our experts say they go."
Del. Elect Jones, along with several other democrats, filed a proposalto be considered by Virginia lawmakers about expanding speed camera use. It's not there yet, but if the bill becomes a law, the localities would have the power to choose where the cameras would function best.
"As far as over policing of particular neighborhood, as long as . . . you use the rubric of the high injury network it's not just going to go in black or brown neighborhoods or things of that nature," added Del. Elect Jones.
Watch previous coverage: Suffolk residents pumping the brakes after speed enforcement cameras cite thousands
The cameras have sparked some controversy. Some residents are concerned about the potential for faulty equipment. Others ask whether they're a money-grab for localities.
Del. Elect Jones said the priority and intention of the bill is to save lives.
According to the DMV's latest data there were roughly 4,500 speed-related crashes in Hampton Roads in 2022.
"We can't police our way out of it because we don't have the authorized force," said Del. elect Jones. "We can't build infrastructure because it would be too cost prohibitive. So the quickest way we can ensure Virginians are safe right now is to put cameras up."
