Zero tolerance in school zones means exactly what it sounds like — break any rules, even just a little bit, and you’ll be cited.
It’s a message Savannah-Chatham police officers want to remind the motoring public of as the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools go back to class Monday morning.
“Most of the school zones have a 25 mile per hour speed limit, some may be a little more,” said police Lt. Greg Mitchell, commander of the department’s traffic unit. “They are marked by yellow flashing lights and (signs) are posted. There will be a zero tolerance enforcement effort for school zones.
Motorists driving only one mile per hour over the speed limit will be given tickets by officers who will be saturating areas around schools, Mitchell said.
That stringent level of enforcement is for one reason only — safety.
“When you slow down in the school zones it gives you an opportunity to react if a child runs into the road or if another driver loses control of their automobile — any number of things can happen,” Mitchell said.
In addition to reminding the people that school zones will be back in affect Monday, Mitchell said it’s important people consider several other factors.
Students’ return to school, the officer said, means more cars, buses, pedestrians and bicyclists on the roads. He suggests people, especially parents driving children to school, leave 15 minutes early in case of any issues that may slow or halt traffic.
For those waiting with their children at the bus stop, Mitchell advises everyone remain at least “five giant steps” from the roadway until the bus driver indicates it is safe to board.
Finally, motorists must exercise caution around school buses and stop whenever they are dropping children off or picking them up.
“When that stop sign is displayed from a school bus, traffic is to stop in all directions,” Mitchell said. “... If you fail to stop it is a traffic violation; the bus drivers will jot down your tag number and we will research that and try to locate the operator of the car, and you will receive a citation.”
Heeding those reminders, the lieutenant said, should help traffic move smoothly and keep the community’s children safe as school returns to session.
“These are our children; they are our future,” Mitchell said. “We do not want to put them in danger because they don’t recognize how fast a car is going many times, they may not be aware of the time and distance to make a good decision about when to cross the street. So, we as drivers and parents and community members have to take that initiative to keep them safe.”