Driving and Parking

College Park Drive has the most vehicle traffic of any road at South Georgia College and its two pedestrian crosswalks are also heavily traveled. For that reason, stay well within the 25 m.p.h. speed limit, be alert for pedestrian traffic and for cars pulling out, and do not park facing into traffic.

Pay attention to the signs: One-way, Stop, etc. Besides increasing your chances for a traffic accident, you will be ticketed for violating these signs. 

If you do have an accident, and if it doesn’t constitute a safety hazard, leave both vehicles where they are and immediately notify Public Safety at telephone 912.260.4444 (or use the emergency telephone call box located in most of the parking lots.) 

The Public Safety Department uses radar to control speeding on campus, so watch your speed at all times. The speed limit is 25 m.p.h. everywhere on campus.

There are almost 1100 parking spaces on campus and there is never a time when all of them are being used. 

Come early if you want a prime parking space. If you are late, settle for a parking space behind the Library or in one of the other parking areas, all within short walking distances of the classrooms. Once you find a parking space, stay parked there instead of trying to move your vehicle from class to class. 

If you’re not faculty/staff, don’t park in spaces marked for them and absolutely do not park or drive on the grass. Also, when parking on College Park Drive, park only on the north side of the roadway and park so the right tires of your vehicle are close to the curb.

Yellow curbing warns you that if you park there you will be illegally parking and will receive a ticket.

Get a parking decal from Plant Operations in Tanner Hall as soon as you can and save yourself a ticket.

SGC Traffic Regulations

Maintaining or operating a motor vehicle on campus is a privilege extended by South Georgia College in return for adherence to certain commonly accepted regulations designed to promote the safety and welfare of all.

These regulations apply to all faculty, staff, visitors, and students of this institution.

In addition to these regulations, all provisions of the Georgia Traffic code apply on campus. Public Safety Officers may cite violators under the South Georgia College Traffic Regulations or the Georgia Traffic code.

Changes to the South Georgia College Traffic Regulations can be achieved by publishing in the Semaphore, this website, and incorporated into subsequent editions of the SGC Public Safety Information book. These changes are official upon publication in either medium. 

All vehicles operated on campus must be registered and the permit be displayed on the vehicle no later than 5 p.m. the first day of scheduled classes.

Registration permits must be permanently affixed to the rear bumper or the back window, except in the cases of a motorcycle they should be on the rear fender or the windshield. Staff/faculty decals of the hang-up type should be hooked over the rear-view mirror.

Student parking permit fees are assessed each semester. The issued parking decal is valid for the current school year (Fall Semester thru Summer Semester). Student decals/permits are not transferable from one vehicle to the other. If for any reason a student must drive a vehicle other than the one registered, a temporary registration permit will be issued, free of charge, at the Public Safety office.

When a student wishes to terminate a vehicle’s registration and register another vehicle, the parking permit should be scraped from the vehicle and the remains brought to the Public Safety office, where a replacement will be issued.

To obtain a South Georgia College permit, all personnel must have the following:

• Current operator’s permit.
• A receipt from the SGC cashier indicating that the permit fee has been paid.
• Current state vehicle registration.
• A fully operable motor vehicle.

Parking

Restrictions in controlled parking areas are in effect 24 hours a day.

Students, visitors, or faculty/staff may park in any parking area unless it is posted otherwise.

There are some faculty, staff, and visitors’ parking areas designated by appropriate signs. Signs identifying other restricted areas are displayed in a conspicuous manner.

Students with physical disabilities who do not have a state issued handicap tag/decal may apply to the Public Safety office for a temporary handicap parking permit in order to park in the handicap parking areas. Verification of the condition may be required.

Parking is prohibited on grass or areas under cultivation, unless otherwise designated.  Exceptions to this are the grassy areas adjacent to the roadway along Tiger Road by the softball field, tennis courts and golf course, as well as the grass areas directly adjacent to Swimming Pool Road (west of Clower Hall).  Park completely off the roadways in those areas, but no more than three feet off the roadway.

Vehicles are not permitted to park or wait at a yellow curb, or in driveways/fire lanes.

Parking is prohibited in walkways, which normally are lined with white paint. 

Parking is prohibited within 15 feet of any building, fire hydrant, or intersection.

Neither parking nor stopping is permitted in loading zones. These areas are marked as restricted parking areas.

Two-wheel motor vehicles must comply with all parking regulations and must be parked in the same area as automobiles.  Special areas may be designated for the parking of two-wheel motor vehicles. 

Parking on the left side of two-way streets is prohibited.

All traffic must follow the traffic flow plan as posted. This includes private and service vehicles. This does not apply to emergency vehicles on emergency runs.

Moving violations may be cited into either city or state court.

Other General Traffic Rules

Officers issuing traffic citations do not have the authority to arbitrate citations.

South Georgia College assumes no responsibility for damage to vehicles or loss from vehicles while the vehicles are being operated on property under the control of the College.

The registrant of a vehicle is responsible for the safe operation and proper parking of the vehicle, regardless of who may be the operator. A citation will not be excused on the grounds that another person was operating the vehicle.

An illegally parked vehicle may be towed away, impounded, or a restraining device applied if the vehicle presents a hazard, creates an inconvenience or nuisance, or has been involved in previous offenses. The College assumes no liability for possible damage incurred from such movement. The registrant shall be responsible for all towing and storing charges.

The operation on campus of a vehicle which has an excessively loud or faulty muffler on campus, or from which excessively loud noise issues from the vehicle, will be a violation of traffic regulations.

Failure to answer promptly to a notice regarding a traffic citation may result in one or more of the following:

• Withholding of academic transcripts.
• Suspension from College and/or dismissal from College employment.

No person shall willfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of any officer with authority to direct, control or regulate traffic.

All posted traffic signs must be obeyed.

The registrant of a vehicle is responsible for showing current proof of insurance.

Occupants of moving vehicles are not to engage in any unsafe acts, including, but not limited to:  riding on the outside of the vehicle, standing in the back of a truck while it is moving, or riding in the trunks of vehicles.  The offending Occupant(s) and the driver of the vehicle may be issued citations.

The driver of the vehicle that collides with an unattended vehicle shall immediately stop and notify either the owner or a Public Safety officer before leaving the scene of the accident. If neither can be located, the driver shall leave in a conspicuous place on the stricken vehicle written notice giving the name and address of the driver and the owner of the vehicle causing the damage.

• Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
• Failure to demonstrate a courteous and responsible behavior toward College or local regulations.
• Failure to satisfactorily settle traffic violation notices.
• Excessive traffic violations.
• Other appropriate reasons.

If the privilege of operating a motor vehicle on campus is lost and the person operates that vehicle on campus again during the period of time the revocation is in effect, that vehicle can be towed away, impounded, or a restraining device applied.

Persons who wish to appeal a campus citation may do so in writing. This should be accomplished within 24 hours of discussing the citation with the Chief of Public Safety. Normal appellate procedures apply. The fine will be paid regardless of appeal and refunded upon presentation of a receipt, should the appeal be upheld.

Upon receipt of the fourth traffic ticket in a semester for the same offense, the student may be referred to the Vice President for Student Affairs for additional administrative action, such as a suspension of driving privileges on campus. 

Standard Administrative Actions for Traffic Violations

The registrant of a vehicle is responsible for payment of any fines incurred through operation of that vehicle for any violations cited here.