Most schools are closed this summer, but does that mean South Floridians still have to obey school zone speed limits?
It depends where you are.
Summer means fewer school buses on the streets and fewer students on the sidewalks, making it harder to know when to slow down. Here’s what you need to know in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Speed limits and citations
Regardless of the province you drive in, keep in mind that school zones operate 30 minutes before school and after dismissal. In school zones, the fines are double the price of a regular speeding ticket. The maximum speed in the school zone is 24 km/h. If you exceed 1-9 km/h you could be fined $50, 15-30 km/h over $300 and 20-29 km/h $350. Anything over 30 km/h could cost you at least $ 500 fee.
Florida also has a hands-free law for those driving through active school zones. According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, police can issue fines of at least $60 for those caught with a device in their hand.
Broward County
Not every school in Broward County offers summer school. Only 37 schools will host from June 24 to July 18. Timings for schools vary, but most school hours will be Monday through Friday, approximately four or six hours per day.
Opening hours: Primary schools and secondary schools all start around the same time. You can expect the flashing yellow lights to slow down to 15 mph 30 minutes before school starts. In Broward County, elementary school typically starts at 8 a.m. High schools start at 9am. Schools end at 2:00 PM for primary school and 1:00 PM for secondary school. There are some exceptions with later end times such as 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM
Miami Dade
Not all school locations in Miami-Dade County have flashing lights to indicate an active school zone, a traffic engineer told The Herald last year, but elementary and middle schools do. More than 70 schools organize summer sessions. School days generally last 4 hours, Monday through Friday. The high school programs run from June 12 to July 18. Grades K-8 run from June 20 to July 25.
Opening hours: Although times may vary, primary school start times are usually around 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM and around 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM. High school hours generally start around 9:00 AM and end around 4:00 PM. High schools can start around 7am and end around 2:20pm.
