With school starting, cops keeping an eye on drivers

With schools starting over the next few weeks, expect to see an increase in police patrols as children head back to the classroom.

"Our goal is that our children are safe and that drivers are aware of the traffic laws that could result in getting some pretty stiff fines," said Sgt. Leonard Piñuelas with the Phoenix Police Department.

Fines include $171 for speeding through a school crossing zone. When the sign says 15 mph, it means 15 mph. And state law says that you can't pass another vehicle in a school zone, even if it's stopped.

"If they are stopped, it's probably because there are children crossing the street," Piñuelas said.

And don't ignore the "no stopping" signs around the high schools and middle schools where stopping or parking to drop-off or pick-up a student could set you back $161. And students can get their own $130 ticket for crossing the street in mid-block and not yielding to traffic.

High school students should remember that the neighborhood "no parking" signs mean just that. Parking at school may be impossible, but parking in the neighborhoods will cost you $31 each time you get a ticket.

Even motorists on major streets like Chandler Boulevard and 48th Street need a reminder that when a school bus stops to pick up or drop off students, and the stop sign is extended, all traffic in both directions must stop unless it's a major street with a raised median in the middle.

Piñuelas said he often sees vehicles that violate the law on 48th Street near Frye Road and Horizon Community Learning Center.

"I see cars constantly coming in the opposite direction, ignoring the stop sign on the bus," he said, opening driver's up to the possibility of a criminal citation, which requires a mandatory visit in front of a judge.

The point of heavy traffic enforcement is to remind drivers that for the first time in months students are going to be walking to and from school, and many of them aren't as tall as a full-size SUV bumper. It's one thing to get a $171 ticket for speeding through a school zone, but no one wants to be behind the wheel when a child is struck.

"Be alert and cautious," Piñuelas stressed.

Doug Murphy can be reached at (480) 898-7914 or dmurphy@ahwatukee.com.