During the week of January 30 to February 3 2017, automated speed enforcement cameras will be activated in the following school zones:
- Leonardtown Road at Thomas Stone High School
- Indian Head Highway at Smallwood Middle School
- Berry Road at Berry Elementary School
- Poplar Hill Road at Malcolm Elementary School
Cameras are activated Monday through Friday, all year long, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the exception of Wade Elementary School which operates from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m..
Violators must be traveling at least 12 mph over the posted speed limit for the cameras to activate. The citations are issued to the registered owner of the vehicle and carry a $40 fine and no points.
The citations are not reported to insurance companies.
The vehicle owner may elect to pay the fine or contest the citation in court. If the vehicle owner fails to pay the fine or appear in court, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration will be notified and the vehicle’s registration will be flagged, preventing the renewal of its registration plates.
The speed cameras use LASER technology to detect speeding vehicles and capture a series of digital images of the vehicle. The cameras record the date, time, location and speed the vehicle is traveling.
As a courtesy and in an effort to prevent violations, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office has placed notification signs at all speed camera locations.
Additionally, the locations of the cameras are posted weekly on the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, and here on SMNEWSNET.COM.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office currently has a total of four mobile cameras that are moved every two weeks to approved school zones including:
- Thomas Stone High School, 3785 Leonardtown Road, Waldorf
- Westlake High School, 3300 Middletown Road, Waldorf
- Maurice J. McDonough High School, 7165 Marshall Corner Road, Pomfret
- General Smallwood Middle School, 4990 Indian Head Highway, Indian Head
- William E. Wade Elementary School, 2300 Smallwood Drive West, Waldorf
- Berry Elementary School, 10155 Berry Road, Waldorf
- James Craik Elementary School, 7725 Marshall Corner Road, Pomfret
- Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School, 2820 Jenifer School Lane, Waldorf
- Malcolm Elementary School, 14760 Poplar Hill Road, Waldorf
- Grace Christian Academy, 13000 Zekiah Drive, Waldorf
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office introduced an Automated School Zone Speed Enforcement program in July 2012, in response to complaints of speeding in school zones and in an effort to enhance safety for children and pedestrians near schools.
