New law to see drivers hit with $3k fines and even community service for breaking school bus rule – crackdown starts now
DRIVERS in Utah could face hefty fines if they are caught speeding in a school zone or ignoring a school bus’s flashing signals.
The state has decided to crack down on school zone safety and implement fines of more than double what they previously were.
GettyUtah has passed a bill this month to immediately increase the fines for school zone penalties by more than double in some instances.[/caption]
GettyThe bill also changes the penalties for drivers who disobey school bus stop signs and other flashes.[/caption]
GettyResidents who live near school zones have described their streets as ‘dangerous’[/caption]
House Bill 345, known as the Driving Penalty Amendments, was introduced in January of this year and implemented earlier this month.
This newly passed bill now increases the fines handed out for both speeding in a school zone, and failure to follow school bus signals.
“It’s really dangerous. There’s a lot of crashes all the time,” Michaela Riding, a Salt Lake City resident who lives across the street from Hawthorne Elementary School, told local Fox affiliate KSTU-TV.
“It has definitely caused us some heartache and pain as we’ve watched some people die or at least heard of it and see lights all the time, all times of the day,” she said.
The speed limit in Salt Lake City school zones is now 20 MPH, with fines for speeding now increasing from $50 to $260.
Those caught driving through a school zone in the 30 to 39 MPH range, will now face fines of $420 as opposed to the previous $125.
Offenders going 40 and up, will now be charged an extra $635, upping the fine to $720.
And for drivers who haven’t learned their lesson, a second offense is even more expensive than the first.
Second offenses, according to the new law, are when a driver is pulled over and ticketed for speeding in a school zone for the second time in three years.
Drivers getting caught in the 21-29 MPH range for a second time within that three-year period would now face a fine of $320.
Second offenders in the 30-39 MPH range would be given a $560 ticket.
And for people pulled over going 40 and above will be charged a whopping $960.
The bill also changes the penalties for drivers who ignore school bus signals, such as stopping and waiting when a bus is picking up or dropping off children.
The first offense is now a $1,000 fine and 10 hours of community service, significantly higher than the original $250 ticket.
A second conviction within five years raises the fine from the previous $500 to now $2000, with 20 hours now being set aside for giving back to their neighborhood.
For those who make the mistake a third time, the fine is now $3000, up from $1000, and could be handed up to 40 hours of community service.
The hours of community service are not new to the penalties, however, the major increase in penalties is what the city hopes will deter drivers from going too fast or disobeying school buses.
These changes come after many officials, and even police stations around the state called for stricter laws around school zone safety.
In January 2023, two Hawthorne Elementary students were struck by a truck as they were crossing the street on their way to school in the morning.
The two children were rushed to the hospital, and fortunately, nobody was killed.
“A couple of kids who were doing everything right. They were at an intersection, there was a crosswalk, and they were walking with a crossing guard,” said Yandary Chatwin with the Salt Lake City School District.
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