Summer vacation has come to an end and Houston area children are returning school this month. That means that motorists can expect heavier traffic and reactivated school zones. You may not have a child in school, but chances are, you have a school zone on your commute or encounter children boarding school buses in your neighborhood. As city employees, it’s doubly important to model safe driving habits, whether you are in a marked city vehicle or your own car.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were 663 vehicle crashes occurred in school zones in Texas in 2017. The most common factors contributing to these crashes were driver inattention, failure to control speed and failure to yield the right of way at stop signs. Read this Houston Chronicle article to learn more about when to stop and when it is safe to pass a bus.
Following these simple tips can help children reach school safely and help drivers avoid costly fines and tickets.
Tips for Driving in School Zones
- Be patient.
- Put away your cell phone. Cell phone use is banned in active school zones, and violators face fines of up to $200 in school zones where signs are posted.
- Always obey school zone speed limit signs. Remember, traffic fines usually double in school zones.
- Stop in either direction for a school bus with its red lights flashing. If the bus is outfitted with flashing yellow lights, anticipate it will soon stop and children may be crossing in front of you.
- Continue your trip once the bus has moved, the flashing lights stop flashing or the bus driver signals it's okay to pass.
- Violations can lead to a $1,000 fine.
- Drop off and pick up your children in your school’s designated areas, not the middle of the street.
- Keep an eye on children gathered at bus stops.
- Be alert for children who might dart across the street or between vehicles on their way to school.
- Never change lanes or make U-turns while driving in a school zone