It’s been over two years since Fairfax County, Virginia, first rolled out speed cameras in some school zones, and they’re still catching thousands of drivers going too fast.
The two speed cameras in the school zone near Key Middle School issued the most tickets last school year, according to Fairfax County data obtained by WTOP.
The eastbound camera along Franconia Road gave out 5,018 citations between Aug. 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025. That marks the highest number of tickets given out among the 10 active cameras in school zones last year. The westbound camera on Franconia Road, meanwhile, gave out 2,411 tickets, the second most.
The county launched the initiative as pilot program in 2023, and it’s now expanding. More school zones will be getting cameras this fall.
“Speeding is a huge issue, aggressive driving,” Second Lt. Tara Gerhard said. “We need everybody to slow down and just take a deep breath when they’re driving, get to where they’re going safely, because if you don’t make it there, you’re not doing anyone good if you don’t arrive alive.”
The cameras issue tickets to drivers caught going 10 or more mph above the speed limit when a school zone’s yellow lights are flashing. Fines range from $50 to $100, depending on how much over the speed limit a car is captured traveling.
“Those cameras are out helping us, because we can’t be everywhere all the time,” Gerhard said.
The camera near London Town Elementary issued the third-most tickets last school year, giving out 2,002.
The others include:
- Chesterbrook Elementary School – 511
- Sleepy Hollow Elementary School – 1,164
- Terraset Elementary School – 980
- South County High School – 1,967
- Irving Middle School – 1,140
- West Springfield High School – 1,876
- Oakton High School – 1,652
Esther Berg, a Key Middle parent, said it’s been easier to pull into the school parking lot and it’s safer for students crossing the street because drivers have slowed down.
“It’s 2025 — I feel like everyone is a little bit more distracted than they have ever been,” Berg said. “Knowing that children can cross a major street safely is critical. Knowing that our teachers and parents can make a turn safely, also critical.”
It’s unclear, Berg said, whether drivers are slowing down because of the cameras or because drivers around them are hitting the brakes. Regardless, it means “We’re going to have fewer accidents, fewer incidents and everyone can get to and from school more safely.”
Before the county piloted the speed camera eastbound at Franconia Road, the average speed was 33.12, according to county data. As of February 2024, the average was 27.8.
As of last year, according to county data, 71% of tickets were issued for driving 35-39 mph in a school zone.
The cameras will be active in the school zones near campuses offering summer programming.
“Phone is not the only distraction inside of a car,” Gerhard said. “It’s eating, it’s doing your mascara while you’re driving, it’s all those kinds of things. We need to eliminate all those distractions, especially in school zones, because we still have kids walking to and from school.”
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