You are on your way to work in the morning, running a little later than usual. You had a hectic morning getting out of the house and now rushing to make up for lost time, you lose track of the posted speed limits on your commute. Suddenly, you see red and blue lights flashing behind you. The officer informs you that you were going 20 miles per hour over the speed limit in a school zone.
Any type of traffic ticket in a Missouri school zone can be steep. While a speeding ticket can have consequences for your driver’s license or finances at any time, getting caught speeding through school zones can result in serious penalties.
Consequences for Missouri drivers
The penalties you face will vary depending on your speed, where the offense occurred, other conditions involved and more. Some counties treat speeding tickets more aggressively than others, which can result in increased consequences for you.
Penalties across Missouri as published by the Traffic Violation Bureau include:
- Fines of up to $226, depending on how fast you were going
- A mandatory court appearance if you were going over 25 mph over the limit
- An additional $25 fine for speeding in a school zone
Whether you have received a speeding ticket before or this is your first, you may question whether fighting against the ticket is worth the time and energy. Simply paying the fee may seem much easier than contesting it.
However, you could also face deducted points on your driver’s license, which can lead to a significant increase in auto insurance premiums. Depending on how fast you were going, you could see your premiums increase by 20 to 30 percent for several years. Additionally, if you have received multiple traffic violations within 12 to 18 months, you could risk the suspension of your driver’s license.
Tips for driving safely in school zones
It can be easy to unintentionally ignore the traffic rules of school zones. A few rules to keep in mind include always yielding and stopping for school buses, never passing other vehicles, refraining from distracted driving, yielding to crossing guards and students in crosswalks and more. By driving cautiously and slowing down, you can contribute to the safety of students, teachers and workers and avoid significant penalties for yourself.
