The "Slowdown" on school zones: Where you'll get pulled over
»Play Video
TRI-CITIES, Wash. -- Speeding in school zones is a recurring problem in the Tri-Cities. Police didn't hesitate to pull drivers over, even during the first week of school.
The changing leaves also signal a return to the classroom. A quarter of the students in the Tri-Cities walk or ride their bikes to school. Eddie Perry lives off of West 10th in Kennewick, across from Desert Hills. It's where his daughter went to school.
He explains, "She did walk four days a week, but on the fifth day, we have Fridays off, so we'd take her down there anyway, just to get her across."
In one day the speed limit on this busy road drops from 35 miles an hour down to 20 during school hours.
"Most people do pay attention to that, but you have the ones that just cant wait," says Eddie.
Those in a hurry, most likely got stopped last week. Officers across the Tri-Cities were patrolling the school zones. Even Kennewick's Chief Hohenberg worked the beat to keep kids safe.
Officer Chris Littrell tells KEPR, "In the beginning of the year, we'll be a lot more stringent with speeds. People just going a few over, there's a good chance we'll be stopping them."
More than 60 drivers were pulled over for speeding in school zones throughout the Tri-Cities last week.
In Pasco, the most stops came near Rowena Chess Elementary at Court Street.Richland's crossing for Badger Mountain Elementary along Leslie had a lot of speeders, there. And in Kennewick, the hot spots for speeders were on West 10th. On the east side, it was in front of Park Middle, and on the west, in front of Desert Hills.
Most drivers only got a warning, but next week police expect to give out tickets. Eddie says the flashing lights, crossing guards and police presence help him feel more comfortable about kids' safety.
But he'd rather see the drivers take more responsibility.
Eddie laughs, "There are strategies to it... Patience."
A ticket for speeding in a school zone starts at $125.
The changing leaves also signal a return to the classroom. A quarter of the students in the Tri-Cities walk or ride their bikes to school. Eddie Perry lives off of West 10th in Kennewick, across from Desert Hills. It's where his daughter went to school.
He explains, "She did walk four days a week, but on the fifth day, we have Fridays off, so we'd take her down there anyway, just to get her across."
In one day the speed limit on this busy road drops from 35 miles an hour down to 20 during school hours.
"Most people do pay attention to that, but you have the ones that just cant wait," says Eddie.
Those in a hurry, most likely got stopped last week. Officers across the Tri-Cities were patrolling the school zones. Even Kennewick's Chief Hohenberg worked the beat to keep kids safe.
Officer Chris Littrell tells KEPR, "In the beginning of the year, we'll be a lot more stringent with speeds. People just going a few over, there's a good chance we'll be stopping them."
More than 60 drivers were pulled over for speeding in school zones throughout the Tri-Cities last week.
In Pasco, the most stops came near Rowena Chess Elementary at Court Street.Richland's crossing for Badger Mountain Elementary along Leslie had a lot of speeders, there. And in Kennewick, the hot spots for speeders were on West 10th. On the east side, it was in front of Park Middle, and on the west, in front of Desert Hills.
Most drivers only got a warning, but next week police expect to give out tickets. Eddie says the flashing lights, crossing guards and police presence help him feel more comfortable about kids' safety.
But he'd rather see the drivers take more responsibility.
Eddie laughs, "There are strategies to it... Patience."
A ticket for speeding in a school zone starts at $125.
