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School Zones And Speeding Tickets

Police will watch school zones for speeders when local schools reopen. Local police remind motorists that speed in school zones is 20 miles per hour unless otherwise posted. Drivers should be attentive to pedestrians in crosswalks in and around the local school. Pedestrians should cross at designated intersections and crosswalks when they have the right of way. Police officers will be posted near school zones to monitor the speeds of vehicles, along with improper lane changes, tailgating or other safety issues. School patrols will be done with regular shift officers. August will also be one of the months to allocate state grant money to pay for traffic enforcement. We ask motorists to be vigilant in school zones and areas where students walk to and from school. There’s going to be a lot of kids out there. Extra patrols will be made around schools when they are in session. In addition to speeding violations, police will be watching for drivers who ignore school bus stop-arm warnings and pedestrian crossing issues. Most school traffic violations will result in tickets; some carry heavy fines or possible license suspension.

A driver says the $261 ticket he got for speeding 10 miles over the limit in a school zone was uncalled for. But the police and the city say the ticket was fair and square. The disagreement boils down to whether the slower-speed school zone was posted correctly. The motorist said he pleaded not guilty to the ticket this week. The police said they don’t see where the driver has a legitimate gripe. On Dec. 11, he dropped his son off at middle school. Because he had a doctor’s appointment, he took a short path he usually doesn’t take. At that point, he said, he knew without question he was in a school zone. There’s only one school zone sign after making the turn he took. It’s near the end of the school property and announces: End School Zone. He said that’s where he got pulled over. The driver, 42, said that when an officer gave him a ticket for doing 25 in a 15 mph school zone, he told him children are a precious commodity. The driver, in an interview, said he agreed. It’s true, he said, so why can’t they just put up a school zone sign to warn people turning onto this street to keep it slow? He said he believes the lack of a sign is a money-maker for the city at the expense of child safety. He said the $261 he may have to pay for his ticket should be enough to cover the cost of a sign. He said they know there’s a problem, but they won’t do anything about it. This is simple, said one policeman. When you drive into a school zone, you’re in it until you see an end school zone sign, even if you make a turn. There are all kinds of kids and a crossing guard there. I don’t see where there’s a problem. The city, not the police, put up signs. At City Hall, a spokeswoman said the policeman was correct about the signs. When operating a motor vehicle in a school zone, all drivers should assume they are still in a school zone until they observe an end school zone sign. The driver said he has a good driving record and doesn’t want this blemish.