COLORADO SPRINGS — It's hard to believe but some Southern Colorado students are already heading back to school today, which means you're going to see a lot of students out at the crosswalks in the coming weeks.
According to AAA, 13% of kids typically walk or bike to classes, so be extra cautious in those before and after school hours! In the last decade, 1 in 4 child pedestrian fatalities happened in the afternoon.
We talked to Drive Smart about the steps you need to take in the coming weeks.
"We are the problem," said Maile Gray with Drive Smart. "We need to be not thinking about what we're cooking for dinner, not thinking that we need to get to that meeting on time."
Remember, it's double the fine if you're caught speeding in a school zone! How much that fine is will depend on the community, but regardless of the district the speed limit is 20 mph through every elementary school zone. It's up to you to make sure our school zones stay safe.
"We need to leave early," continued Gray, "and give ourselves plenty of time because unexpected things happen now in school zones."
School bus safety rules are just as important. If you see the school bus stop arm come out you must stop. It's a 6 point violation if you drive past that arm and if you're a new driver you could even lose your license.
