September means football season returns, pumpkin-flavored everything, and kids head back to school. While many districts here in Arizona go to school year round, all of us here at Good Works Auto Repair thought that it would be a good idea to review our State’s traffic laws for busses and school zones. Keeping our children safe has always been a top priority for Arizona which is one of the reasons why they have instituted a “zero-tolerance” policy on school zone violations; this means that a speeding ticket will be issued if you are driving your automobile only a couple miles over the posted speed limit.

Phoenix was not only the first city in Arizona to establish a 15 miles per hour speed limit through school zones, but was in fact the first city in the entire country to do so. For the past 65 years, this 15 mph speed limit has remained in effect and while many areas keep it in place all the time, some areas raise it slightly when school is not in session. Going over the posted speed limit will result in some serious fines as well, with all typical speeding citation fines being doubled.

The state passed a law back in 2006 which states that if you commit a traffic violation while the school zone lights are flashing or the “Stop When Children in Crosswalk” signs are posted then you are looking at an automatic $200.00 fine – at a minimum. Depending on the severity of the offence, it is possible that the driver will also receive two or three points on their license.

Along with strict laws in school zones, Arizona also deals harshly with school bus light violations. The law states that if you are approaching a school bus that is picking up or dropping off children, the driver of the vehicle must come to a complete stop before reaching the bus, regardless of the direction of travel. Drivers must remain stopped until the bus moves ahead or until the stop arm and flashing lights are no longer showing. The only caveat to this is if you are travelling in the opposite direction on a divided roadway; a divided roadway means that the road is physically separated by some sort of barrier, not just a turn lane or other type of road striping.

For a first time violation of the school bus laws, the driver will receive a minimum penalty of $250.00. A second violation within three years earns you a $750.00 fine and a suspension of driving privileges for up to six months. A third violation within the three year period will get you a minimum $1000.00 fine and a six to twelve month driving suspension.

School zone driving speed limits along with school bus laws are put in place to protect our children so take them seriously. If we all do our part, we can help keep our children safe as they walk to school and ride the bus this year. School zones are very visibly marked utilizing lights, signs and painted roadways so as you are driving your vehicle around town, slow down and keep an eye out for Arizona’s children.