Are school speed zones enforced during summer in South Florida? Depends where you are
Do drivers in South Florida have to pay attention to school zone speed limits during the summer?
It depends on where you’re driving.
Here’s what to know in Broward and Miami-Dade counties as summer school gets started:
Broward County
Days: From June 20 to July 25, the yellow flashing school zone lights will be activated at campuses with summer school programs. Not every school in Broward offers summer school. Of the 330 public schools in the county, 51 will host summer school. Summer school runs from Monday to Thursday, four hours a day.
Hours: The schedules are different for elementary, secondary (middle and high school) and programs for students with disabilities. The elementary day runs from 8 a.m. to noon. and secondary from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The disability programs mostly run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., but a few have different start and end times such as Atlantic Technical College in Coconut Creek, which runs from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Speed limit and citations: Keep in mind that school zones are active 30 minutes before a school’s start and end times. The speed limit is 15 mph. If you’re fined for speeding in a school zone, it’ll be double that of a regular speeding ticket. Going over 1-9 mph can land you a $50 fine, and 15 to 19 mph over is a $300 fine.
Tip: If you’re approaching a school zone sign without a light, but aren’t sure if you’ll be met with an active flashing light ahead closer to the campus, you may want to slow down until you reach the light.
Miami-Dade County
Active school zones: Of the 350 public schools in Miami-Dade, 79 will have summer programs. School zones will be active for these schools. Lights will be operational at school zones that have them.
Summer programs: Programs for 9-12 grades began on June 12 and will run through July 18. The K-8 program began on June 20 and will run through July 25.
Caution: Most high schools in Miami-Dade don’t have flashing lights for school zones, but elementary and middle schools have them, according to Raynier Curras traffic engineer with the Department of Transportation and Public Works. He advises drivers to be cautious as they approach schools that don’t have lights because school zones are in effect at campuses with summer school.
Days and hours: All summer programs run from Monday to Friday. High school begins at 7:20 a.m. and ends at 1:05 p.m. Middle school begins at 9:15 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Elementary schools and K-8 centers run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. School zone lights are active 30 minutes before and after the school day starts and ends.
This story was originally published June 16, 2023 at 5:15 AM.
