Speeding in a school zone

[snorko]

Not going to whine, I'm guilty as charged. Didn't know school was back in session and apparently was doing 40 in a 20 school zone. The violation is not online yet and there is no fine on the ticket. Any idea what the fine might be? I think a deferral program is in my future.


ETA: Well poop, looks like $169 (not bad), no deferral allowed and required court appearance.

 

[findingZzero]

Ouch!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

They're cracking down up here too. I hate the way school zones are regulated. I have no children, and since there is no uniform start and end date, even within the same county, I don't know how we are supposed to know which schools are in session and which are not. They should have flashing yellow lights on the signs when they're in effect. I also don't see why they're in effect ALL day. A couple hours in the morning for arrivals and a couple hours in the afternoons for departures should be it. In between those times, the kids should be in the building and not out in the street.


P.S. Stay offa my lawn!!

 

[Fargo]

Not going to whine, I'm guilty as charged. Didn't know school was back in session and apparently was doing 40 in a 20 school zone. The violation is not online yet and there is no fine on the ticket. Any idea what the fine might be? I think a deferral program is in my future.


ETA: Well poop, looks like $169 (not bad), no deferral allowed and required court appearance.

What time of day and what exactly does the school zone speed limit sign say as to when it is in effect?

 

[ruger1800]

They're cracking down up here too. I hate the way school zones are regulated. I have no children, and since there is no uniform start and end date, even within the same county, I don't know how we are supposed to know which schools are in session and which are not. They should have flashing yellow lights on the signs when they're in effect. I also don't see why they're in effect ALL day. A couple hours in the morning for arrivals and a couple hours in the afternoons for departures should be it. In between those times, the kids should be in the building and not out in the street.


P.S. Stay offa my lawn!!

most schools have mentally impaired children that escape frequently, Most don't reasoning capabilities, they will run in front of your car, teachers call them runners

 

[DoggyDaddy]

most schools have mentally impaired children that escape frequently, Most don't reasoning capabilities, they will run in front of your car

Well I've seen a few with the split enforcement times, so it can be done. Again, there's just no consistency (why can some split their times, while others can't?). If they truly need to have the "all day" times, that's fine, but again, flashing lights on the sign would leave no doubt as to when they're in force. Honestly I don't know why there aren't consistent start and end times statewide, at least for public schools. If the state can regulate their testing, they should be able to regulate start and end dates, breaks, etc..

 

[terrehautian]

Most just say "when children present" around here.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Heh...When I was about 16-17, I had this Tennessee State Trooper tell me in his best, mirrored sun-glass, Boss Hogg, impression, one time that speeding in a school zone was prima-facia evidence of reckless driving. At the time, I didn't know what that meant, but bless his heart, he went on to educate me. The bad thing was, by the time he pulled me over, I was past the opposite school zone flashing light.............and it was off. *Sounding like Maxwell Smart*---missed it by that much.

 

[Redtbird]

I don't know about now, but in Vincennes the school zone 20mph limit was in effect 24/7, weekends included. Before I moved out of there, it seemed people were driving 20mph all over town.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Didn't know school was back in session and apparently was doing 40 in a 20

Was the school zone demarcated?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Not going to whine, I'm guilty as charged. Didn't know school was back in session and apparently was doing 40 in a 20 school zone. The violation is not online yet and there is no fine on the ticket. Any idea what the fine might be? I think a deferral program is in my future.


ETA: Well poop, looks like $169 (not bad), no deferral allowed and required court appearance.

That's much cheaper than Marion Co. A regular speeding ticket was $150 and school zone was $350, IIRC. Been awhile since I had a ticket book.

 

[eric001]

Sorry to hear about your financial pain, OP. I sympathize!!

Seems to me that the vast majority of school zones are put in place simply as revenue generation zones and have nothing to do with safety for any children whatsoever. Rarely do I ever even see children outside of the fenced in playground areas of elementary schools, and many schools are several hundred feet--even hundreds of yards--away from the road.

I can fully understand low speed limits in neighborhoods, where kids often play in yards obviously close to the road and dart after balls/play in the streets/whatever. I have never understood why school zones exist on roads where you can't even see the school because it's so far back from the road.

And just to finish my little rant and open up a can of worms at the same time, I'll finish with this: I've never yet seen a lower speed limit close to a school magically save any lives. Distracted drivers do things just as stupidly at 20 as they do at 40 (or whatever the normal limit is). If they're distracted to the point of stupidity, then they're just as likely to not notice kids regardless of speed...and 5mph or 50mph, a kid run over doesn't stand a great chance of not being messed up.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Was the school zone demarcated?

Is a fire lane really a fire lane?

 

[Brandon]

I've watched many people get pulled over around 30th and Post for not slowing down, always wondered how bad it stung. I've watched many in a hurry to get around my bus wish they had waited.

 

[17 squirrel]

Was the school zone demarcated?

Would not the school speed zone sign be the demarcation line ?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Is a fire lane really a fire lane?

Zen and the art of parking enforcement.

 

[Denny347]

That's much cheaper than Marion Co. A regular speeding ticket was $150 and school zone was $350, IIRC. Been awhile since I had a ticket book.

Interestingly enough, our traffic prosecutor has been throwing local school zone tickets out since their opinion is they are not legal. There is a sign that STARTS the zone but there is nothing that marks the END. Without an END, there is no "zone".

 

[Brandon]

Interestingly enough, our traffic prosecutor has been throwing local school zone tickets out since their opinion is they are not legal. There is a sign that STARTS the zone but there is nothing that marks the END. Without an END, there is no "zone".

In our CDL training for the bus, we were told it is where the School zone speed limit sign is for the oncoming traffic but as you said, it's not marked "end".

 

[Titanium_Frost]

Most I have seen in Evansville (Snorko's neighborhood too) have school zone end signs.

 

[snorko]

Was the school zone demarcated?

Demarcated, Reparkable, I have no idea what party it votes for. To be clear, this school zone has signs at both ends, I am well aware of its existence. In fact my mother taught there for 10 years or so. The street I was travelling on runs along the side of the school. So no activity was visible, etc. Of course when I turned off the road to pull over on a quieter street, I could see the front of the school and a line of buses getting ready to load.

I simply didn'tknow school had started and was travelling apace with traffic. I won the ticket lottery, I guess. Maybe I should have tried for sympathy as I had just left the hospital after an echocardiogram.