School zone
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A school zone refers to a reduced speed limit on a street near a school or near a crosswalk leading to a school. The purpose of these lower limits is to protect student pedestrians or to increase safety of roads that become traffic-congested around school opening and closing hours.
[edit] Fines
Fines for speeding in school zones may be enhanced. For example, many states double speeding fines in school zones. In Texas, overtaking a vehicle is prohibited when school zone times are in effect.
[edit] When Effective
School zone speed limits are often, but not always, only applicable during posted weekday hours near the beginning and ending of school when children are likely to cross roads. In some places, the school zone speed limit is effective at all times when school is in session, plus additional time before and after the school day. Flashing amber lights often indicate when the school zone is effective. When a school zone also has a large playground facility, it may double as a playground zone and the speed limit could be in effect longer - or at all times of day, every day.
School zones typically have speed limits between 15 and 25 mph (25 and 40 km/h).
[edit] Criticism
In a review of available research, the Transportation Research Board, part of the United States National Research Council, states, "Studies of the effectiveness of school zone limits ... generally found poor driver compliance ... and no relationship between pedestrian crashes and the [school zone] limits."[1] (page 102)
