Transportation

The Automated Traffic Enforcement Pilot Program is a one-year pilot program.  Automated enforcement devices will be placed at eight (8) red lights, eight 8) school zones and one (1) highway work zone.

Prince William County government seeks to improve the safety of roads in the county by encouraging motorists to slow down and be alert to fellow motorists and pedestrians.

State Code VA § 15.2-968.1, passed in 2007, allows for the governing body of any jurisdiction to provide, by ordinance, for the establishment of a traffic signal enforcement program imposing monetary liability on the operator of a motor vehicle for failure to comply with traffic light signals.

In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 1442 and Virginia State Code § 46.2-882.1, "Use of photo speed monitoring devices in highway work zones and school crossing zones,” which authorized state and local law enforcement agencies to operate photo speed monitoring devices in or around active school crossing zones and highway work zones for the purpose of recording images of vehicles that are traveling at speeds of at least 10 miles per hour above the posted school crossing zone speed limit or highway work zone speed limit.

The Ordinances authorize Prince William County government to initiate the Automated Traffic Enforcement Pilot Program. The Ordinances propose the maximum allowable fines permitted by the state code, which is $50 per red light violation and up to $100 for speeding more than 10 miles per hour in an active school or work zone.

Beyond the information required to document the violation, no personal information will be stored as part of this pilot program. Information required includes video or photo of the vehicle and license plate. This data will be destroyed after the citation has been resolved per the State Code.

School zones were selected based on information received by the Prince William County Department of Transportation, Prince William County Police Department, and consultation with Prince William County Public Schools.

A vehicle will be cited if moving 10 miles per hour or more than the posted speed limit in an active school zone (i.e., during arrivals and dismissals while the school zone lights are flashing).

The pilot program will start with an initial 30-day warning period at each location, during which drivers speeding in an active school zone will only receive a warning. After the 30-day warning period, drivers speeding in these school zones will receive a $100 fine. The citation will not impact driving records, demerit points or insurance premiums.

The initial school zones are:

1. Route 15- Battlefield High School- The warning period will begin February 15, 2024 and will run for 32 days.  Tickets will be issued starting March 18, 2024.
2. Old Bridge Road- Woodbridge High School and Old Bridge Elementary School
3. Benita Fitzgerald Drive- Fitzgerald Elementary School
4. Rippon Middle School- Blackburn Road
5. Kettle Run Road- Patriot High School and T. Clay Wood Elementary School

Locations were selected based on crash history and a request for service. The crashes considered were angled crashes associated with running a red light. The intersections considered had the highest injury rates, with crashes associated with angled crashes. Rear-end crashes were excluded from the analysis.

Any vehicle entering an intersection after the light has turned red will receive a citation. Vehicles already in the intersection, stopping or right turns at a red light will not be cited. Virginia Code requires all vehicles stop at a red light before proceeding through an intersection.

The penalty for a traffic light violation is a $50 civil citation, which will not impact driving records, demerit points or insurance premiums.

Areas where safety flashers are activated and roadway construction activities are underway or ongoing constitute an active highway work zone.

The penalty for a highway work zone violation is a $100 civil citation, which will not impact driving records, demerit points, or insurance premiums.