Fairfield will use automated traffic enforcement cameras to curb speeding near schools, a move officials say will help protect children and pedestrians in high-risk areas.
Police have identified six school zones where the cameras will be installed this fall based on crash data, engineering studies and community feedback. They are Dwight Elementary School, where two fatal pedestrian accidents have occurred in recent years; Notre Dame High School, the site of a serious crash involving speeding; Burr Elementary School, which has seen frequent complaints about fast-moving cars. Riverfield Elementary School and both Fairfield Ludlowe and Fairfield Warde High Schools were also selected due to infrastructure challenges and the presence of many young, inexperienced drivers.
“The Fairfield Police Department is committed to reducing speeding in our school zones and preventing tragedies before they occur,” said Captain Hector Irizarry, Commander of the Special Services Bureau in a statement. “This technology allows us to address dangerous driving behavior where it matters most, near our schools, where children walk, bike and ride every day.”
The rollout of automated traffic enforcement cameras in the state is growing. Greenwich, Marlborough, Middletown, Milford, New Haven, Stratford, Wethersfield and Washington have installed the cameras. Several other municipalities have applications or plans pending, according to the state Department of Transportion.
Towns must pass a local ordinance to enable the use of the cameras under a roadway safety law enacted by state lawmakers in 2023. Municipalities must first obtain approval from the state Department of Transportation to install the cameras. Once granted, each authorization remains valid for three years.
The cameras, which will come at no cost to taxpayers, were approved by the Representative Town Meeting and are part of Fairfield’s broader Vision Zero strategy to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries.
In Fairfield, the automated cameras will operate 24/7, enforcing a 20 mph limit during school hours and reverting to the standard limit when school is not in session. A 30-day warning period will begin once the system is activated, allowing drivers to adjust before fines are issued. After that, violators will receive civil citations by mail $50 for the first offense and $75 for subsequent ones, plus a $15 processing fee. These penalties will not impact insurance rates or driver’s licenses.
