Caught on Camera

Navigating Parma's School Zones and the Surprising Revenue Boost.

Did you know that you can still receive a citation for speeding, with a camera, in a school zone even when the lights aren’t flashing? Me neither! I want to share my story and lessons learned so you don’t make the same mistakes I did.

It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and I was taking my son for a haircut appointment for both of us. We passed through a school zone on our way home. According to the city of Parma and the camera footage, I was going 8 miles an hour over the speed limit. I found this a bit odd, because everyone makes fun of me for driving like a grandpa and always going under the speed limit. I am especially cautious in school zones; having 3 kids, I believe in making sure our kids are safe. When I reviewed the camera footage, which is in video form, it definitely seemed possible that I may have been going 28 miles an hour.

Again, it was very strange that I would be going so far over the limit, especially if the school zone lights were flashing. Later on, I found out from the city’s magistrate that the lights do not need to be flashing in order to get a ticket for speeding in a school zone. But I am getting ahead of myself and will go into more details on this later in the story.

I'm guessing that the lights were not on that day, being a holiday week, and since my son was in the car with me, it probably didn’t dawn on me that school could be in session. I was probably in the wrong, so I decided not to contest the ticket and sent a check to the city to pay my fine.

Double Trouble: The Plot Thickens

You can imagine how shocked I was 6 weeks later to receive a letter from the city stating that my citation had not been paid and needed to be settled immediately. I promptly logged into my bank account, and sure enough, they had cashed my check. Feeling victorious and ready for the argument I anticipated would ensue, I called to explain that the matter had already been resolved. After about 15 minutes on the phone with the city, and a callback, they discovered that we had indeed made a payment for a ticket, but not for the one we were currently discussing. Wait, WHAT?! A second ticket? When did that happen? Where? And why hadn’t we received the notice for this citation?

After getting all our questions answered, we learned that my wife, while taking our son to his speech appointment through the same intersection, was also caught going 8 miles an hour over the speed limit. (Obviously, we’ve learned since then not to drive with our son through that intersection; he seems to be bad luck.) After reviewing the camera footage, it appeared that there were three cars all moving through the intersection at about the same speed. My wife did a bit of investigating, pulling the license plate information from the other cars, and sure enough, they had received tickets as well.

Watching the video over and over again, we noticed that the cars were speeding up slightly, so we decided to drive through the intersection again (this time without our son). We were extremely careful, trying not to get a third citation. What we found was really interesting. The camera taking pictures was at the end of the school zone, and when you looked up, you could clearly see the "end of school zone" sign not far ahead. It was clear what we were doing; we were starting to accelerate to the posted speed limit of 35 mph, as we could see the end of the school zone sign. Obviously, since we were past the school, we thought it was safe to begin speeding up, but we were WRONG. I didn’t realize that you aren't supposed to speed up until your car completely passes that sign. Guess I need to go back to driver's ed.

Since I didn’t know about this rule, it made me wonder, how many others in the courtroom were also unaware? It felt a bit sneaky, placing the camera right at a spot where it's all too easy to assume you've left the school zone and can start accelerating. This positioning, right on the cusp of the zone as people were leaving, seemed almost designed to catch drivers off guard. With this in mind, I figured I had to contest the ticket and explain my situation to the magistrate. The court date was set for 6 weeks out.

Our Time in Court

As we approached the justice center for the first time, we were greeted by a line just to get in. The security team was busy directing everyone, saying, "If you're here to contest a camera citation, go upstairs to the left, courtroom two." Once we entered the courtroom, It was clear we weren't alone in our predicament —it was packed. Easily 100 people were there, each probably replaying their own run-ins with these confusing traffic regulations in their minds.

When the magistrate entered the courtroom, he promptly briefed everyone on the procedure. It was then that I learned school lights don't need to be flashing for a citation to be issued. After swearing everyone in, he started calling people up individually to present their cases. One by one, each person attempted to make their argument, and the magistrate inquired whether they wished to set a court date to contest their ticket or opt for a reduced fine. Fines that typically stood at $220 were being knocked down from $5 to $40, plus a $20 court cost, all dependent on how compelling your story was. Interestingly enough, not a single person chose to set a date to contest their citation. The prospect of taking another half day off work seemed less appealing than simply benefiting from an 80% fine reduction and moving on.

AI-rendered image of a packed courtroom during a session on traffic disputes

One detail that stood out to me was that not ONE person brought up the point about the school zone ending sign's proximity to the camera, an observation that had struck me as significant. Each person, in essence, admitted their lesson was learned and was then granted a HUGE reduction in their fine, after which they'd head downstairs to settle their dues.

Sitting there, my inner data NERD kicked in. I started pondering various questions: How many days a week do individuals come in to argue their ticket? How many citations does the city issue daily, weekly, or yearly? How many people challenge their citations? How many dismiss them, opting not to pay? And what happens if you simply ignore the fine??

My aim was to leave as soon as possible and start finding answers to my questions. When it was my turn, I outlined my case, sharing that I'd taken the lesson to heart and would adhere to the advice given to others: to drive at 20 MPH from Monday to Friday between 7 AM and 7 PM, just to be safe. Consequently, my fine was reduced to $20, with an added court cost of $20, and I was on my merry way.

The Law and Data - Lots of Data

As soon as I got home, I immediately took two actions. First, I dug into the legal specifics online and stumbled upon Section 4511.21 of the Ohio Revised Code. This section, detailing the speed limits within school zones, explicitly states, "Nothing in this section or in the manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic control devices shall be construed to require school zones to be indicated by signs equipped with flashing or other lights, or giving other special notice of the hours in which the school zone speed limit is in effect." Simply put, the law doesn't mandate the use of flashing lights or distinctive signage to denote the operational hours of reduced speed limits in school zones.

My second move was to contact the IT Department of the City of Parma, asking for information under the Freedom of Information Act concerning these camera citations. Boy, was I thrilled when they got back to me with all the information I requested. It felt like being a kid in a candy shop, getting to slice and dice the data.

I thought it'd be fun to share some 'Fun Facts' from my deep dive. Plus, I've included a link to the report I used, so you can get your hands dirty with the data and discover some insights of your own.

Lessons Learned

The whole point of writing this blog was to lay out what I've discovered and the lessons I've picked up along the way. I'm hoping to spare you all from the same costly mistakes.

First off, driving past Padua with my son, Austin, in the car seems to be a jinx. Seems like we're a magnet for citations whenever he's tagging along. (Sorta Kidding)

As you navigate Parma, keep these three crucial points in mind:

1. School Zone Lights: Even if the school zone lights aren't flashing, you can still be ticketed. A crucial heads-up for all drivers.

2. End of School Zone: It's essential to wait until you're fully past the 'end of school zone' sign before accelerating. A lesson learned the hard way.

3. Court Appearance: Simply appearing in court, acknowledging your error, and committing to improvement can significantly reduce fines—often by as much as 80%.
   

A deeper dive into the data revealed that a significant portion of people, roughly a third, neglect their fines. But caution is advised - these unresolved tickets can escalate to collections, potentially harming your credit score, or even leading to a warrant.

So, there you have it. I'm sharing all this in hopes you'll drive more carefully around Parma. Remember, the whole reason for these cameras is about keeping our kiddos safe on the streets. Let's all pledge to drive with heightened awareness and respect for the rules, ensuring the streets of Parma remain safe havens for every pedestrian, especially our little ones.