Hefty Fines Await You if You Speed in School Zones
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
August 6, 2025
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. Believe it or not, it’s that time of year again. Back to school has come once again.
And with schools opening in less than two weeks, on August 11th, in Baldwin County, and a bit later in some areas, it’s time to think about safety.
Safety driving in the school zones, safety walking to schools, safety on school buses, and safety at the school. It’s all about safety.
Drivers are urged to slow down in school zones across the county as students head back to class.
As the school year begins, police in the area are reminding all drivers to slow down, watch for signs, and stay alert in school zones to help keep kids safe.
With increased traffic enforcement in school zones, officials hope drivers will slow down and help ensure student safety as the new academic year begins.
Approximately 25,000 children are injured annually in school zone accidents in the United States. Additionally, more than 100 children are killed each year in these accidents while walking to or from school. And there’s also the crossing guards to watch for.
Over the last decade, the accident rate for crossing guards has increased by 65% and though there is no specific database that tracks crossing guard injuries or deaths, estimates from several resources say more than a dozen are killed each year while directing traffic.
“We’re going to have more enforcement for school crossing zones. We’re going to have our traffic division out there doing enforcement to try to slow people down. That’s one of the ways we try to keep people safe,” Drake said.
Drivers should also be respectful of school crossing guards who help students navigate busy intersections. Although they are not sworn law enforcement officers, most are employees of the city, town or county and have been given the authority to direct traffic, causing them to stop while students or adults cross the street.
Law enforcement annually asks that drivers be patient, leave a little bit earlier, be respectful of other drivers, students, and crossing guards, and stay off of your phones.
The consequences for speeding in school zones are significant. Under Alabama state law, drivers caught exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph or more in a school zone face a minimum $200 fine.
In Alabama, fines for speeding in a school zone are doubled, and the speed limit is 15 mph during school hours and when children are actively using crosswalks
The average speeding ticket fine in Alabama is $130, but it might be more in some areas. Doubling that fine would mean drivers face fines of more than $260 for speeding in school zones.
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