PROGRAMS

School Zone Safety

Overview

The goal of the School Zone Safety Program is to save lives and prevent serious injuries in and around schools in Washington State.

The Traffic Safety Commission provides funds for increased school zone speed enforcement, school patrols and crossing guard programs, and innovative approaches to school zone safety. Each elementary school in Washington is unique as is their school zone. Parking lot safety, needed engineering improvements, and law enforcement questions topped the list of concerns expressed by elementary school principals in WTSC's March 2001 statewide survey.

Issues

As drivers approach a school, they find a lot of activity-school buses turning, students walking or biking, safety patrol members helping kids cross the street, cars pulling in along the side of the road, and of course other drivers who are also dropping kids off. In the parking lot the confusion increases-kids dart out between parked cars, long lines of cars block parking spaces, and the exit backs up. Sometimes picking up and dropping off kids from school can be chaotic.

What's a School Zone? The 600-foot school zone is designated by two signs, both 300 feet on either side of a marked crosswalk. The speed limit in a school zone is 20 m.p.h. You should remember that fines are double for traffic violations committed within the school zone.

There are four kinds of marked school zones that tell you when you must drive 20 m.p.h:

• When Children are Present
• From 8 am to 5:30 pm
• When Flagged
• When Flashing

However your school zone is marked, you can trust that if you're bringing your kids to school or picking them up, the 20 m.p.h. speed limit is in effect-even if the sign has not yet been flagged!

Resource Information

Contact Information

Watch traffic safety educational videos and ads on YouTube. Visit www.youtube.com - search with "wtsc"

Professionals and volunteers in your community can provide you with a wealth of information and help. Call on these people to help train new safety patrol members or when you need solutions to problems. Get connected with your community.

• Local Police Officer or Sheriff's Deputy
• Washington State Patrol Trooper
• Education Service District Risk Manager
• School District Safety Committee Representative
• City Council Member or County Commissioner
• Parent Teacher Organization Representative
• Parents, staff members, and community members interested in school zone safety issues