City Leaders Stress Importance of Following Rules of the Road in School Zones
NEW ORLEANS – In September, the City of New Orleans reported that traffic crashes, especially those resulting in death or serious injury, are on the rise due to an increase in risky driving behavior. This week served as a painful reminder, with the recent death of a person walking in the CBD during work hours and a young person struck by a vehicle while crossing the street to enter their school campus. Crashes such as these are unacceptable.
The New Orleans Health Department (NOHD), Roadwork NOLA and the Department of Public Works are working to inform the public on transportation safety issues and opportunities for safer mobility. This includes an even sharper focus on ways to bring our children to and from schools more safely. Here are some helpful tips and reminders of the rules of the road in these areas:
- The speed limit is 20 mph in school zones between the hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., unless otherwise posted.
- Higher fines are given for those driving over the posted speed limit during these hours.
- Do not use your cell phone while driving in a school zone. Higher fines are also given for those that are found to be on their phone.
- Children may be hard to see crossing the street and could also be distracted. They may also attempt to cross in unmarked areas. Take extra caution no matter the mode of transportation when traveling in school zones.
- Drivers must stop and yield to people crossing the road at intersections and marked crosswalks, and people walking must yield to vehicular traffic when crossing mid-block.
- If you are traveling in or near a school zone, follow instructions from all school zone crossing guards, special signage, flashing lights and pavement markings.
- When driving, stop at least 30 feet away from school buses when they are stopped and have flashing lights and stop signs extended. Stopping is not required when driving on the opposite side of a neutral ground divided street from a stopped bus.
Do you have a roadway safety issue to report? Call 311 or submit comments online at https://nola311.org/service-request/. Send us a message if you want to request school zone safety equipment for your school or have safety concerns getting to or from school. Include information regarding the location and requested improvements, and email Marin Stephens, NOHD Transportation Safety Senior Planner, at marin.stephens@nola.gov.
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