Driving Safely in School Zones

My friend and fellow mom, Joy Elazary, came up to me one day, urging me to do a story about road rules in school zones.

“I don’t think a lot of people know what it means when a crossing guard has his sign up,” she said. 

Agoura Hills crossing guard, Harold “Hal” Zaff, has been helping students and their families safely cross streets for the past 10 years.

warns drivers that whenever he has his sign up and people are crossing, it is illegal to drive through that particular intersection. You must wait until every person is on the opposite side of the street before proceeding, according to Zaff. The fine for breaking that law is a steep $541, as well as permanent points on your driving record.

“The biggest problem for me has been drivers making right turns into the crosswalk when I’ve got my sign up,” said Zaff. He says this is the most dangerous action a driver can take in the school crossing area, and he admits he’s had a number of close calls over the years. 

“I promise I will move traffic along as quickly as possible,” Zaff said, “so please be patient and aware.”

Here are some other rules with which to be aware:

Speed Limit

According to the California DMV Driver Handbook, “When driving within 500 to 1,000 feet of a school while children are outside or crossing the street, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour, unless otherwise posted."

Also, if the school grounds have no fence and children are outside, never drive faster than 25 miles per hour. Some school zones may have speed limits as low as 15 miles per hour.

The DMV advises to always drive more carefully near schools, playgrounds, parks and residential areas because children may suddenly dart into the street.

The fine for speeding in a school zone will vary, depending up how many miles over the speed limit you were going, but could be upwards of $500 or more with added administrative fees.

School Buses

Always be cautious when driving near school buses. Some school buses flash yellow when preparing to stop to let children off the bus, which warns drivers to slow down and prepare to stop. When the bus flashes red lights, drivers from both directions must stop until the children are safely across the street and the lights stop flashing, according to the handbook. The law requires drivers to remain stopped as long as the red lights are flashing.

Drivers who fail to stop may be fined up to $1,000. Plus, your driving privilege could be suspended for one year.

If the school bus is on the other side of a divided or multi-lane highway (two or more lanes in each direction), you do not need to stop.

So be careful out there, and make sure to obey the rules.