BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Students will be returning to school this week which means school zones are back into effect. Law enforcement is reminding everyone to slow down or pay up.
Louisiana law places the speed limit of 20 mph in school zones and Baton Rouge Police Department officers are reminding those to slow down during the weekdays.
BRPD Sgt. Darren Ahmed says people should watch for congestion, especially during the first week of school. You may want to give yourself an extra five or 10 minutes for your morning commute. You can expect to see children out in the morning from 7-9 a.m. and from 2-4 p.m. in the afternoon.
Law enforcement says to always expect the unexpected.
“They’re kids, you know, they’re thinking about a playground, they’re thinking about their studies and stuff like that. They’re not thinking about a car that’s going 90 miles an hour past a period,” said Sean Vicknar, a concerned resident.
BRPD will be ramping up patrols to ensure drivers are abiding by the rules. Officials say they’re holding people accountable for going over the speed limit. Law officials also say you drive better when you are less distracted. Putting the phone away not only helps you focus and help save lives, but also it is illegal to be on your cell phone in a school zone.
