School speed zones active again
With many Southwest Louisiana schools reopening their campuses in a week, we thought it was an important time to remind our readers that school zone speed limits will start being enforced again. When school is in session, the speed limit in a school zone is 25 mph between 7-9 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. depending on the school.
Drivers who are ticketed for speeding in a school zone must appear in court and could face stiff fines. State law requires drivers to yield the right of way by slowing down or stopping for pedestrians crossing at a crosswalk.
AAA auto club officials said afternoons are a dangerous time for children who are walking home from school because one-third of child pedestrian fatalities that have occurred over the last decade happened between 3- 7 p.m. The group said that is the time of day when more than a quarter of fatal car accidents involving teen drivers have happened.
Also remember that drivers must stop at least 30 feet from a school bus on either side of the road while students are getting on or off the bus.
It’s also important to watch out for crossing guards, too. Passing through a school zone will likely mean longer commutes because of students being dropped off or picked up, along with the lower speed limit. That means all of you drivers heading to work next week might need to reconsider the time you leave your driveways.
Making sure students safely arrive and leave school each day should be the highest priority for drivers.